Demons of Saints
by Candra 'wolfgal97
Summary: Sequel to Brotherhood of Saints... "Hello, pet. Did you miss me? No? What a shame because I missed you. And this time, we're going to have so much more fun!" Will be M in later chapters.
1. Fights and Flames

**_Teaser: "Hello, pet. Did you miss me? No? What a shame because I missed you. And this time, we're going to have so much more fun!"_**

_A/N: Yes, I'm back with my new baby. So many people wanted a sequel to my Brotherhood of Saints that I HAD to follow through. If you're just jumping on the bandwagon now, I think you should probably go and read the first one before reading this, but hey, either way, have fun and prepare for the angst._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but Anna..._

_Warning: Rated T. Later chapters contain intense violence.  
_

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

_**Fights and Flames**_

**By Candra**

It had been ten years since the day that Murphy's heart had stopped beating. And though he'd been brought back and so much had happened to both MacManus brother over that span of time, he sometimes couldn't help but remember those three days of hell that he'd experienced.

Though his wounds had healed and his scars had faded, there were days that something would remind him of those three days that he'd been separated from his twin. The three days that'd he'd been tortured mercilessly. The three days that had almost cost him his life.

Maybe it would be the click of a lighter when he wasn't prepared for it. Sometimes, he'd rub at the sore muscles in his neck and would feel the round scars from the cigarette burns there. Other days, he'd be by his brother's side, sweeping the floors of the Hoag prison, and he'd bend down to pick some trash from the floor. His sleeve would sometimes ride up a little and expose the pale white rings that encircled his wrists. Or maybe he'd just notice that the little finger on his left hand hadn't quite healed right and was slightly crooked, the same as one of his ribs.

He knew Connor noticed. Connor _always_ noticed. He'd seen him in the mornings when they'd wake up in their cell for the day watching his younger twin as Murphy quickly yanked a shirt over his head, hiding the slightly protruding rib and the scar from the healed stab wound from his brother's watchful eyes. Though he was grateful that he and Connor shared a cell instead of being separated, he hated the sad, almost guilty look that would haunt the light in his twin's blue eyes.

They never spoke about it. They'd already hashed out all their emotions about it a long time ago when they'd returned to Ireland to live in peace with their father. Their Da had noticed the stiffness that his darker son had moved with for those first few months of recovery. Though they hadn't ever told him what had happened in great detail, he knew enough to know that Murphy had survived something that would effect him forever.

But they wouldn't be able to tell him the whole story because he'd been dead for about a month now. Connor could still remember that horrible day in great detail. The bullets had flown and none of them them had been spared. He'd watched as his father fell to the ground, blood pouring from his body. He'd seen the ever-selfless Murphy run to his aid, not hesitating to throw his own body over his father's, earning himself a few bullets.

Connor had known that going in there was a deadly mission. He knew that they were all at risk and that it was a possibility that they would all die. Still, seeing his father bleeding out, Connor knew that though the old man's death would hurt him, that he would survive the loss.

However, seeing Murphy's blood being spilt had effected him in a way that he hadn't felt for eight years. So much of his brother's blood covered the floor. Suddenly, Connor was eight years younger and was begging with God to take his life in exchange for Murphy's as the EMT's had fought to save his twin's life. That same feeling of helplessness consumed him.

Connor knew that he couldn't survive losing Murphy. So, ignoring his own wounds, he shot every man in the room dead and went to his brother's aid. Murphy was strong, though. He'd helped Connor carry their dying father to the other room in order for them to complete their mission as Louie's body went still when Noah MacManus pulled the trigger. And then he'd passed, in what had seemed an almost peaceful moment.

Then the police had shown up. They'd given themselves up without a fight. They still had each other to live for, and they were in no condition to fight back. Connor knew though, that had Murphy died with their father, that he wouldn't have hesitated in taking down as many of them as he could've before they'd have put an end to him.

They'd come to the Hoag only a month ago. Though their sentence was still being determined, they knew that they wouldn't be leaving this prison any time soon. So after they'd healed up enough to be released from the medical care cell block into the actual prison, they'd silently promised each other to always be together.

They were the Saints. Killers of killers, deliverers of evil unto God. And they were surrounded by evil, evil that all wanted them dead. Alone, they'd be picked off easily, but together, they were left untouched for the most part. Their name had struck fear into the hearts of the other inmates and had kept them at bay for the time being. How long their reputation would protect them? Not forever.

The twins had both been put on cleanup duty after lunch. Because many of the guards were on their side, they found that they were always assigned the same tasks so that they were constantly together. They thanked God in heaven for that blessing because they knew as soon as they were separated from each other for more than a moment that the protection of the Saint name would be gone in the blink of an eye.

Murphy'd swept the floor relatively clean and Connor had bundled all the trash bags together. The floor still need to be mopped, but the dump truck would be there for pickup in a few minutes. Murphy noticed the dilemma at the same time as Connor.

"Go on and run it out," Murphy told his twin. "I'll finish up here by the time ya get back."

Connor frowned. "Are ya sure?" he asked. He didn't like it. Though he would only be running out the door, he would be gone at least a few minutes. A lot could happen in a few minutes.

Murphy shrugged carelessly and let a smile find place on his lips. "Yeah, just hurry on up. I'll be fine without ya being a mother hen for a few seconds."

Minutes. It would be minutes, not seconds. Connor wanted to point it out, but he knew better. Murphy hated to be babied, but Connor just couldn't help it some days. He felt the responsibility, the protectiveness that came with the title of brother.

"Alright," Connor agreed while picking up the bags. "I'll be back soon."

It wasn't soon enough.

Connor had practically jogged out the door before dumping the trash and heading back into the mess hall. He couldn't have been gone more than two minutes. But those two minutes were long enough for something to happen.

When he walked back to the hall, he could hear the sounds of a struggle. Murphy was spitting curses at someone in several languages while Connor could hear someone else speak in english. "Hold him down!" a deep voice commanded.

Connor was flying into the room when he felt two pairs of arms weave through his, holding him in place. Connor tried to rip away from them, but they'd had the element of surprise. Instead, he could only watch as Murphy brawled with the two prisoners trying to grab onto him.

While both MacManus brothers were excellent fighters, Connor had always been a little stronger while Murphy had always been just a bit faster. The two attributes had balanced them out in fights against each other, but Connor was usually able to get the upper hand on anyone, while Murphy was just too fast to strike at.

However, there were two of them and one of Murphy. Still, Murphy was holding his own, lashing out with punches while dodging theirs. One prisoner tried to get a hold of Murphy's arm, but the Saint ripped away from him.

Connor felt a fist knot in his hair and one of the men holding onto him yanked his head back, threatening to tear his eyes away from watching Murphy. "Hey, Saint! Look what I've got," he called to the darker twin.

Murphy did just as they wanted and looked Connor's way, eyes wide with worry when they locked onto Connor's. "Con!" he yelled before the two he'd been scrapping with managed to get ahold of Murphy. He tried to shake them off, intending to free his brother, but a swift hit to the face stilled him.

"Murph!" Connor called for his brother, trying once again to break away. The result was a punch to a gut that had him gasping for air.

The twins locked eyes from across the room, both afraid for each other and not for themselves. They both knew they were in trouble, but they weren't going down without a fight. They both watched the prisoners holding them, trying to guess what would happen next.

"Which one should we start with?" one holding Connor asked. "This one's got some fight."

"Yeah, so does this one," one of Murphy's captors growled while glaring at the twin. "Broke my nose."

Both Connor and Murphy smirked for the darker twin's small feat.

The one with the bleeding nose noticed and growled at Murphy, yanking his head back by his hair. "You think that's funny? How funny will it be when I-" he paused, something catching his attention. "Well, look here," he said, nodding at Murphy, handing off the arm he secured to the other prisoner holding the twin. "Looks like someone already got ahold of you."

Murphy couldn't help but flinch when the prisoner reached out and traced a finger over the cigarette scars. Connor noticed his twin's anxiety and was livid. "Leave him the hell alone!" he spat, trying to get to his brother.

"Make me," the prisoner grinned before punching Murphy in the face, hard. Murphy recovered from the blow quickly and spat blood at his attacker.

The prisoner's eyes lit up with fury. "You'll pay for that. I may just have to have a smoke break for myself."

Murphy steeled himself, his eyes staying locked on Connor's wide, fearful ones while the inmate dug into his pocket, pulling out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He forced himself to not blink when the lighter clicked, igniting the drug.

Though Murphy didn't appear scared to the other prisoners, Connor could see in his eyes that he was terrified. A rush of strength flowed through him, much like the day he'd dropped the toilet on Ivan's head. As the inmate moved to burn his brother, Connor let out a furious roar and ripped away from the iron holds the men had on him, seeing only his brother and the color red.

Before Murphy could be burned, Connor was across the room and had taken the man to the floor. He straddled him and wailed on his face until his knuckles bled.

Murphy had managed to slip the grip of the single prisoner holding onto him. He in turn punched him in the face and was about to take defense against the men who'd Connor'd broken away from when the guards came in.

"Everyone put your hands in the air!" a guard in the front commanded. Murphy had to tap Connor's shoulder to get him to listen before following orders. His twin followed suit, dismounting the prisoner.

Each of them involved in the fight was cuffed and those who'd been injured, Murphy and the one who'd tried to burn him, were all sent to the infirmary. Connor was lead to a new cell, the guards following the rule that if you were fighting you were sent to solitary. However, many guards secretly liked the Saints. Though they couldn't allow the twins to share the same cell for the next day, they did put them across from each other so they would be close by.

Murphy was brought in an hour later, his faced bruised and a split lip still bleeding. He walked with a slight limp, but it was nothing compared to how the other inmate had to feel. Connor hadn't worked someone over like that for a long time.

"How ya feelin', Murph?" Connor asked his brother after the guards had removed his handcuffs and left the cell block.

"M'fine, Con," his twin replied darkly. "Just fine."

"Ya don't sound fine," Connor shot back, wishing so badly that they were in the same cell together so he could pat his twin on the back or ruffle his hair, anything to give him the affection he needed.

"Well, I am, so shut it," Murphy snapped. He sighed and laid out on his bunk, hand over his face so Connor couldn't see him wince, though his brother had noticed anyways. "How are you?"

Connor could feel a bruise or two forming, but he was fine. And he knew Murphy was a fast healer physically, but mentally was another issue entirely. Connor couldn't know his state of mind because unlike Murphy, he didn't bare the scars his brother did. He'd never suffered like Murphy had.

"M'great," Connor told him.

Murphy searched his eyes before nodding to himself and sitting up. He pulled off his shirt and Connor couldn't help but train his eyes on the nasty scar that marred his brother's chest. He hated that raised white mark and wished with everything in him that he could erase it and all the other scars Murphy had received from his three days of hell.

Connor looked away before Murphy could catch him staring. He knew Murphy hated the feeling that his twin was babying him. Murphy was tough and he'd recovered so much over the past eight years. But still, sometimes, you could see in his eyes that he was just a bit damaged still.

Connor watched as Murphy lied down, trying to get the rest his sore body needed. Ever since they were kids, Murphy had never been big on sleeping. He was too energetic and loved to be active at all times, day and night. However, ever since Rocco had died all those years ago, Murphy had slept even less.

Connor never really had a problem sleeping. He knew that he would get no rest tonight, though. With Murphy locked in a cell across from him, he felt wrong, like part of him was missing. Until he could touch his twin again, to physically feel his presence, he would get no rest.

Still, Connor didn't want to worry his brother because if he did, he knew Murphy wouldn't get any sleep either. So he laid down as well and turned to face the stone wall, trying to keep images from his mind from all those years ago. Rocco being killed right before him... Murphy being stabbed and his heart giving out... He shivered and pulled his thin blankets over his head.

"Hey, Con? Ya still up?" Murphy asked quietly.

"Yeah, m'up."

"Do ya think Romeo's okay? I mean, we're gonna be stuck in here all day tomorrow. Ya think he'll be alright on his own?"

Connor chewed on his lip as he thought. "Yeah, I think he'll be fine. Romeo is tough. He can take care of himself. Plus, it's only a day. We'll be back to keep an eye on him soon enough."

Murphy hummed a little, as if soothed by his brother's response. He didn't want to be responsible for another Rocco. Romeo had been so loyal to them, and Murphy considered him as family, like an odd cousin or something. An emotional cousin, but family all the same.

"Connor?" he asked again.

"What, Murph?" came the weary reply.

Murphy almost didn't say anything, but he felt he needed to say something to his brother. "I just wanted to say thanks. For, ya know, today. For not lettin' that wop... well, ya know."

Oh, Connor knew. No one touched his brother and walked away from it without a little _gift_ from Connor. "Any time, Murph. There was no way I was gonna let anyone hurt ya like that."

"Still, thanks, Con. It means a lot."

"Anytime, Murph. S'what brothers are for. Now shut up and go to sleep before ya pull a Romeo and start cryin' on me."

Murphy snickered. "Alright, Con. Is breá liom tú," he said in Gaelic so the other inmates wouldn't understand._ I love you._

"Is breá liom tú, freisin, Murph," Connor replied instantly._ I love you, too, Murph._ Ever since he'd almost lost his brother, Connor had made an effort to tell his brother those words when the time called for it. Because though Murphy knew, he just needed to say it sometimes.

"Lights out!" a guard called from down the hall just as all the lights in the cell block went dark. Lights out meant that all conversation was supposed to end, but usually he was able to get away with holding late night conversations with his brother. But because Murphy was separated from him for the night, that wasn't an option. It bothered Connor to no end.

He felt very alone.

**B~D~S**

* * *

Just as he predicted, Connor didn't sleep a wink that night. It was late into the night when he could hear his brother's even breathing of sleep hitch and he knew that Murphy was having a nightmare. Perfect, just perfect. The one night he couldn't reach out and comfort him, Murphy had a nightmare.

And then Murphy started sleep talking and Connor about went insane with not being able to do anything but listen to his brother suffer from his fears of the past.

"Screw ya," Murphy hissed in his sleep. Connor sat up and looked over at the dark shape of Murphy in the opposite cell. He was confused. Murphy never sounded so angry in these types of nightmares. He was usually just whimpering in pain, saying things that never really made sense.

"Screw ya, sir," Murphy ground out. It was then that Connor understood than unlike dreaming up terrors of those three days that Murphy was actually reliving his experience. He didn't know know how he knew, but he just did. And Connor had front seat tickets to the pain his brother suffered.

"Screw... Ya," Murphy repeated again, slowly this time. Right after, he hissed a sharp intake of breath, as if something had hurt him.

"Murph," Connor called softly. He wanted this to end. He didn't want to hear this.

"Not... not gonna tell ya. Gotta... gotta keep Connor... keep Connor safe."

Okay, he'd had enough of this. Connor got up and pressed his face against the bars of his cell, getting as close to his ailing twin as he could. "Murphy, get up!" he snarled.

Instantly in response to his brother's tone, Murphy shot up in bed. Connor couldn't really see his face in the dark, but he could tell from the sniffles that Murphy was on the verge of tears. Something had shaken him up that much.

Murphy's head whipped around in the dark. He couldn't see a thing, and he believed that he was back in that warehouse, tape pressed over his eyes as the blade cut into him time after time as they asked where Connor was.

His whole body trembled as he tried to collect himself. Connor called out to him in the dark, snapping his mind back to the present. "Murph, you're fine. M'right here, brother."

"Connor?" he asked. He had to make sure, because it was so dark... he just couldn't tell.

"I'm here and you're just fine, Murph."

Murphy relaxed then. He trusted Connor so much that if he said everything was okay, then it was. "S-Sorry. Did I wake ya up?"

Connor shook his head and Murphy could just barely see it. "Naw, I couldn't sleep. But what was all that, Murph? Sounded like ya were talking to someone."

"S'the dark," Murphy told him. "Guess it just got to me. Dreamed I was... there again. They... covered my eyes and I couldn't see. Their boss was askin' about ya and I wouldn't tell 'em anythin'. When I woke up, it was dark and I just... I..."

"Ya thought you were there again, dinnit ya?"

"Yeah, I did," Murphy admitted. He saw that his brother was pressed against the bars of his cell. Murphy got up and mimicked him, both of them sliding to ground, backs against the wall for support as they pressed against the bars that kept them apart. It was as close to comforting each other as they could for the night.

"Well, you're safe here with me. Those people are dead now. I made sure of that. All but _her_, that is, and Smecker told me she wasn't gettin' outta jail anytime soon."

"Just like us, eh, Con?"

Connor smirked a little. "We'll get outta here soon enough, Murph. And we'll take care of each other, just like always."

"Ya know, I haven't told ya since ya came and got me all those years ago, but I meant it. Ya really are the best brother I could ask for," Murphy told Connor.

"Thanks, you too," Connor replied lamely. He didn't really feel like a good brother. A good brother wouldn't have allowed his twin to be taken in the first place.

Murphy could feel his unease. "Even if ya do call me names while tryin' to do CPR on me," Murphy said in a teasing tone.

Connor balked. "Ya heard that? I thought ya were dead!" Connor said indignantly.

Murphy grinned. "'Course I heard ya, ya idiot! Was really the only thing I could do at that point."

Connor snorted. "I should tear ya a new one for scarin' me like that."

"Like it was my fault!" Murphy cried. "It was your rope that did it!"

"Oh, here we go again with the rope! Why do ya hate my rope so much, Murphy? Why?"

"Can you two shut the hell up?" some guy called from a cell down the way. "It's the middle of the night! You all can play Dr. Phil in the morning!"

"Screw you," the twins said in unison, both grinning wryly at each other. It was that look that confirmed that no matter what happened, as long as they had each other, they would be just fine.


	2. Ghosts and Fears

_Chapter One Summary: Ten years has passed since Anna kidnapped and tortured Murphy. The twins have been incarcerated and are living the the Hoag. They were attacked and right before an inmate could hurt Murphy, Connor bolted to the rescue. Forced to spend a night in solitary, but being kept relatively close together by sympathetic guards, the twins had a restless night. Murphy has a nightmare and wakes up believing he was back with Anna, blindfolded as she hurt him. Connor brings him back to reality and talks it out with him. It's obvious Murphy is still suffering from his past._

_A/N: Alright, I pumped out another one. They won't all come this fast, but I had an angsty day and decided to share. Please enjoy._

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Ghosts and Fears_**

The twins didn't sleep the rest of the night. Instead, they sat quietly against the bars that held them apart, trying to take comfort in each other's presence. When morning came, a guard who happened to be sympathetic to the Saints, came to let them out early instead of the regular twenty-four hours.

The bars slid open and the guards cuffed the twins with their hands in front of them. Before they could be moved, though, Connor moved to his brother and looped his bound hands around Murphy's neck, hugging him as best he could, finally getting the physical contact that he'd missed all night.

Murphy leaned into his embrace and fisted his cuffed hands in Connor's shirt. "We're fine," he mumbled to Connor. His twin's reaction was to give him a little squeeze before letting him go.

The brothers were lead out of the dark cell block and to the mess hall. They were released from their cuffs and they picked themselves up trays of breakfast. In the light, Connor noticed that Murphy's bruises had bloomed over his face. The dark circles under his eyes from the sleepless night didn't help his appearance, either.

They found their normal table. Romeo was already waiting for them. "You two look like hell," he greeted as the boys sat down.

"Aye, but ya really should see the other guy," Connor grinned proudly.

"Ya really should," Murphy agreed with a wry smile. "Connor tossed 'em a good one.

"And you both are alright?" Romeo asked.

"Peachy," Murphy confirmed.

"Wasn't our first brawl. Felt good to get the blood a'pumpin'," Connor elaborated.

"What about you?" Murphy asked the Mexican. "Miss us?"

"Yeah, a bit," Romeo admitted.

"Aw, did ya here that, Con? Rome missed us last night!"

"Did ya cry for us, Rome?" Connor teased his friend.

"Oh, screw you two. I don't know why I stick around you guys."

"Because ya love us," Murphy grinned.

"Plus, we don't give ya hell for your stupid catchphrases," Connor added.

"At least I have a catchphrase!"

"An' we have our prayer," Connor shot back.

"Which is pretty sweet," Murphy added.

"So shove it," Connor finished.

Romeo was about to argue with them some more when a bell rang, telling them they all could go outside for an hour. "Bout time," Murphy grumbled as they went outside. "I need a smoke."

Connor pulled three out of his pack and passed them to his brother and friend, handing Murphy the lighter first after igniting his own. Murphy lit his and passed it on to Romeo who did the same and gave the lighter back to it's owner. The three stood in silence, enjoying the peace and the taste of the drag.

A humming sound in the distance like a wave of the ocean caught Murphy's attention. "What's that?" he asked.

Romeo gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Your adoring fans. They've been out there about a month now screaming at the city of Boston to let you guys free."

"They're still out there?" Connor asked incredulously. "After a bleedin' month? They must love us."

"Heh, lot o' good it's doin'," Murphy mumbled.

"We'll all be gettin' out soon enough," Connor said fervently, trying to convince Murphy and Romeo in something that even he didn't really believe in. Who was going to fight for them? Da was dead, as was Smecker, and Bloom was somewhere in Cambodia or somewhere of the like. As much as the brothers loved Dolly and Duffy, the two didn't have enough pull in the city to get them released.

That left them screwed and at the mercy of the American government. Very screwed, indeed.

"Mr. Murphy MacManus," an unfamiliar voice called to the darker twin. All three turned around and found three guards waiting for them. Murphy stepped forward, Connor leaning closer towards him in a protective motion. Never before had only one of them been called out.

"Aye, that would be me."

"You are to come with us to give us an account of the events of yesterday," the guard said. He had a cold, professional air about him. Connor could just tell that he wasn't a friend to them.

"M'goin' with him," Connor said.

"We only need Mr. Murphy MacManus for the account as he was the first upon the scene," the lead guard said in an icy tone.

Connor ground his teeth, wanting to blow up on this man who thought he could separate the twins. "I was there, too. I should go as well."

"Like I said, we only need your brother."

"Can a guard stay with my brother?" Murphy asked. He feared for his twin's safety while he was gone.

"That's unnecessary. Now please let me see your hands," the guard commanded. Murphy didn't want to, but he knew he couldn't refuse. He offered himself up and ignored the metal encircling his wrists. Before he was lead away, he cast a worried look over his shoulder at Connor and Romeo.

Connor put a fake smile on his face, trying to ease Murphy's worries for him. He wasn't worried for himself so much as being upset at the separation. Last time Murphy had been out of his sight for more than a second, and he ended up with a busted face.

Still, the smile didn't comfort Murphy as he was led away into the official part of the prison where the guards met and things of that nature. He hadn't been in here since he and Connor had officially been processed in. Even then, he'd been bleeding out and could barely remember it.

He was led down a grey, bare hall to a door at the end, reminding him very much of a scary movie. He was lead into the room where a bare table with an empty chair seated by it. He was guided to the chair and sat down in it while his still cuffed hands were chained to a clip in the table.

He didn't like this one bit. It felt like one of those movies where the dude in the interrogation room had the hell beat outta 'em.

The cold guard who'd brought him in left as soon as Murphy was chained down and had left one of his men to loom in the corner with a very large gun. Murphy refrained from looking at him, instead choosing to stare at the thumbnail he desperately wanted to bite but couldn't.

He had no idea how long he waited there. He had no idea what was coming, he just knew that for every moment he wasn't with Connor, something bad could be happening. He moved restlessly in his seat as the minutes passed and he became more anxious.

As time crept by, Murphy couldn't help but begin to feel suffocated. He hated being restrained, even more so than Connor after the whole Anna business. That woman had worked him over all those years ago. He hopped that she was still in jail where she belonged.

Suddenly, the door opened and a figure entered, scaring the living hell out of Murphy. The Irishmen couldn't help but gape at the person as they entered the small room and sat down at the table across from him.

"I don't think those are necessary," the ghost said, pointing to Murphy's cuffs. "Murphy, it's been a while."

**B~D~S**

* * *

Connor paced. It had been well over an hour. He hated that Murphy had been taken somewhere else. It was driving him mad with worry. What were they asking him? Was he cooperating or running that big mouth of his? Was everything okay?

Connor was so busy worrying that he didn't hear Romeo trying to warn him. Only when he paced right on into the chest of a rather large man. A man who's face looked like it had been though a blender.

Oh, hell. Connor knew what had happened to that face. He'd messed it up yesterday.

The man shoved Connor away from him into the arms of two waiting inmates. "Where's your brother, now?" he asked with an evil grin.

"Connor!" Romeo shot to the twin's defense, but was stopped by another inmate. The Mexican was fast, though. He dodged the prisoner and went around him, elbowing the man in the back and dropping him to the ground. "Ding, dong'!" he spat before coming to Connor's aid.

Connor took the moment to jerk his arm free and slugged one of the guys holding him in the face. He dropped the other guy in and instant and was about to go after the first guy when Romeo jumped in, handling two of the four inmates.

Connor turned his attention to the leader. "Back for another go? Maybe I didn't beat your ugly mug enough the first time," Connor spat viciously.

The man sneered back. "We'll see about that." With that, the two lunged at each other. Fists flew and blows met their targets. Connor tried to get the upper hand and tried to bring him to the ground, but the man saw his goal and ripped away at the last moment while the other prisoner came from behind and got Connor in a chokehold.

The leader sank a fist into Connor's gut. He was about to do it again when out of nowhere, an enraged voice screamed, "Get the hell away from my brother!" Murphy came out of nowhere and plowed into the leader, sending him to the ground. Murphy delivered an unforgiving kick to the man's side before turning his attention to the man who had a hold of Connor.

"Let 'em go," he snarled before launching himself at the inmate. Scared, the prisoner let Connor go before running right into Romeo's fist. The Mexican had managed to knock out one of his two and the other one was just staggering to his feet.

A shot went off and everyone froze. The cold guard who'd taken Murphy in the first place came in, an army of troops behind him. Murphy reached out to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder before asking, "Are ya alright?"

Connor was panting, but nodded. "M'fine. You?"

"Great. Just great."

"Everyone freeze," the Guard called. Just as the day before, all involved with the fight were cuffed and lead to separate cells. Connor again was faced with the agony of separation as Murphy was placed in the cell next to his instead of the one across, where Romeo ended up. The twins ended up sitting back to back, backs pressed against the wall separating them.

"Ya sure you're alright, Con?"

"Yeah, m'alright."

"Romeo? Ya okay?"

"Just fine," the Mexican called over from his cot. "I got them more than they got me."

"M'sorry, the both of you," Murphy sighed. "If I hadn't left-"

"S'not like ya had much o' a choice, Murph. We're just fine, so get over it."

"What? I don't get to mother-hen ya?" Murphy teased, the worry dropping from his voice.

"Nope. That's the job of the older twin."

"It was forty-seven seconds, Con!"

"Still forty-seven seconds older than you."

Murphy grumbled something unintelligible through the concrete wall, but Connor could've sworn he'd heard something along the lines of, "rope-lovin' airhead."

Connor chuckled, amused by his twin's antics. He desperately wished he was in the same cell as him so that he could reach out and ruffle his hair.

They sat in silence a while until the soft sounds of Romeo's snores filled the air. It was then Connor remembered. "What did they want ya for, Murph?"

"They... Con, you're not gonna believe this, but they wanted to talk to me about getting released."

Connor frowned. "How's that? Who's pushin' for us?"

"Besides the whole city of Boston? Again, ya won't believe me."

"Course I'll believe ya," Connor disagreed. "You're my brother, ain't ya? I'd believe ya if ya said ya had a pet unicorn, now out with it, Murph."

Murphy didn't respond for a while. Finally, he sighed and said, "Smecker. I saw Smecker today."

It was Connor's turn to be silent a while. "Are ya sure?"

"Course I'm sure! He was right in front of me. We talked a long time. He told me a lot 'o things. Says he's got it set up that we'll be gettin' out free o' charges soon enough. We're goin' with a story that we happened upon Da's crime scene. That it was defense, that we picked up the guns there."

"And they'll buy that?" Connor asked.

"Sounds like," Murphy replied. Still, something in his voice troubled Connor.

"Murph, what else? What else did he tell ya?"

"Can we just go to sleep, Con? M'tired."

"Hell no, Murph. Tell me right now what's got ya bothered," Connor barked, pressing his face against the bars, trying to get closer to Murphy. His twin was lucky they were separated, otherwise he'd knock some sense into him.

"He told me... He told me that she was let out. Parol or somethin'. Then she went missing and they have no idea where she is," Murphy whispered.

Connor's throat constricted. Though he already had an idea, he had to confirm. "Who?"

"Anna," Murphy croaked. "They lost Anna."

Connor's breath hitched. The monster who'd haunted and tormented his brother for all these years was walking around free as a bird and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Connor had no idea what to do. He wanted to take his brother in his arms and hold him, let him know he was safe, but he couldn't.

Instead, he reached his hand out through the bars and managed to tap one of the bars to Murphy's cell. In response, Murphy also reached out and searched blindly until he found his brother's hand. When he found it, he clung to it like a lifeline tethering him to all that was safe.

It was an awkward position and it strained their wrists until it hurt, but there they clung to each other through the night, even as they fell into restless sleeps, matching tattoos on their fingers, matching scars marking their wrists, and matching fears playing through their heads.


	3. Secrets and Messages

_Chapter Two Summary: The twins meet up with Romeo before Murphy is taken for questioning. There, he meets someone he believed dead. While Murphy is gone, Romeo and Connor are jumped. Murphy arrives and fights the inmates off. They are all put in solitary. The twins discuss what they wanted Murphy for, and Murphy says that they may be getting released. He tells Connor that Smecker is still alive and pushing for them. He also tells Connor that their enemy, Anna, who tortured and almost killed Murphy ten years earlier, was let out of jail and has gone missing. Connor reached out and holds his brother's hand, trying to comfort him while they're separated._

_A/N: I did it! Another one right after the last! This was the fun one, so I just couldn't stop. It's also very long and my fingers may fall off, but hey, if you like it, it was well worth it. So get ready for one of my epic cliff hangers, people. And yes, believe it or not, this is a nice one._

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Secrets and Messages_**

A week had passed since Murphy had seen Smecker. A week since they'd learned that their own personal demon was missing. A week since things had changed in both brothers.

Murphy had grown darker. Instead of chatting away like aways with Connor into the dark of the night in their shared cell, he now turned to the wall on his bunk and closed his eyes to face long nights of nightmares. They'd come back after all these years with a vengeance, making Murphy cry out in his sleep, but never wake up.

The sounds of his brother suffering through the night had about driven Connor mad. He hardly slept anymore because he couldn't stand hearing Murphy cry out in pain every night. Because he wasn't getting much sleep, he had started becoming very cranky. He would snap easily at Romeo, and even Murphy at times.

For the past three days, the brothers had been at odds. Though they wouldn't leave each other's sides and they felt the need to protect each other, neither of them liked each other at the moment very much.

Murphy had taken to talking to Romeo if anyone at all. He didn't understand why Connor seemed so mad at him and would snap at him for the slightest things. So if the need to have a conversation arose, he went to his friend instead of his brother.

Connor didn't like that. All their lives, Murphy had always come to Connor about things first. Now, Connor felt like he was being replaced, even though he knew it was a silly thought. Still, it bothered him to no end that Murphy had practically stopped speaking to him.

Romeo had noticed the change, though he had no clue what had brought it on. One night, when Murphy was asleep, he decided to ask Connor about it from his cell across the twins'.

"Hey, Connor, man. What's going on with you and Murphy? You guys have a fight or somethin'?"

Connor frowned. He hadn't expected to be asked about this. "No, not really. He just... I dunno. He won't talk ta' me anymore. Have I been a jackarse lately?"

Romeo shrugged. "You mean more than usual?"

"Thanks, Rome. Real helpful."

"Hey, you asked. But yeah, you've been kinda short with him and me lately."

"It's because he won't talk to me!" Connor snapped. "You know what?" he continued in a heated tone, "Why don't yah have this conversation with him? Since you two've been so close an' all that as of late."

Romeo sat up in bed and fixed Connor with a glare. "Listen here, leprechaun-head. You can get as pissy with me as you like. But Murphy is your familia, and family is the most important thing. And I don't know what he dreams about that's able to make him sound like that," he ranted, only stopped by Murphy's pained whimper, "And it's not my place to ask, but right now he needs you. So why don't you pull your head out of your pot' o' gold at the end of whatever screwed up rainbow you live on and just try being nice to him?"

Connor gaped at his friend. Only now had he realized how bad he'd been lately. What Murphy had needed when he was pushing Connor away was for Connor to hold on tighter. There were times that Murphy may not want to be babied but still needed to be. Now, Connor understood that this was one of those times.

"I'm such a jerk," Connor sighed. "I'm sorry, Rome. I just... I can't sleep while he suffers like this," Connor admitted.

"I get it. Just make sure he does, too. Because he needs you, brah. He really does." With that, Romeo laid down and went to sleep.

Connor turned over and went to sleep himself, though it wasn't a very good sleep. He woke several times at night to Murphy's agonized sounds. Still, he did all he could to ignore it. When morning came, Connor was wide awake and stayed put on his bunk until Murphy climbed down.

Before his twin could even move to put a shirt on, Connor was up and wrapping his arms around his brother. He could feel Murphy tense under him, but his twin relaxed under his touch after a moment. "I'm so sorry, Murphy. I'm sorry I've been such a crappy brother for the past week. I really am."

After saying this, Murphy also wrapped his arms around his brother in a powerful embrace. "It's s'okay. I just dinnit know what I did ta' make yah so made at me."

Connor pulled away so he could look his brother in the eye, hands placed firmly on Murphy's shoulders. "Yah didn't do a thing, Murph. I just haven't slept very well for the past week."

Murphy looked towards the ground. "Me either."

"Oh, I know."

It was then it clicked for Murphy. "Oh, hell. I've kept yah up, haven't I? Me an' my big mouth."

"Maybe a little," Connor admitted, pulling away to give Murph some personal space.

"I'm sorry, Con."

"No!" Connor said sharply. "Don't you dare apologies for that. You dinnit do a thing wrong. You can't help what happens in your sleep."

"Still," Murphy grumbled before pulling on his shirt. "I feel bad for keepin' yah up."

Connor shrugged. "It's not a big deal. You know me, though. I'm an jerk when I don't sleep well. How you manage to be somewhat civil sleepin' like you do is a mystery to me," he teased.

Murphy just rolled his eyes and was about to comment back but was interrupted by the guard that had taken Murphy yesterday and his little band of followers. "Connor and Murphy MacManus, Romeo Lopez. You are to be released today from Hoag penitentiary. You've been cleared of all charges."

Connor and Murphy had no clue what to say. They both had been in denial that they would ever be free again. Romeo however, summed things up with, "About time!"

They all were given their clothes back that they'd been brought in with. They'd been washed and their blood no longer stained the dark material, but the bullet holes were still there. The twins were also given back their rosaries, which they immediately strung around their necks and kissed lovingly before tucking them under their torn shirts.

Within a few hours, all three were processed out of the Hoag. They were informed that a cab was parked outside, waiting to take them where they wished. As they headed out the door, Murphy was handed an envelope and was told to not open it until they were in the cab.

After the three had piled into the back of the cab, Murphy scrunched in the middle while Connor and Romeo were pressed against the doors of the car. Murphy struggled to pull the envelope out and elbowed Romeo and Connor several times in the process while the two spat curses at him.

"Keep your shirts on!" Murphy growled as he tore open the letter.

"What's it say?" Connor asked, reading over his brother's shoulder, the same as Romeo.

"It's from Smecker. 'Boys, I'm sorry for not being there for your release. For safety reasons, I won't be able to contact you for a day or two. Until then, take the cab to the Claremont hotel, where there is a room under your name. Wait for me to contact you. And no matter what, do not leave the hotel,'" Murphy read the letter.

"Claremont it is, then," Connor informed the driver.

"How are we gonna pay for the cab?" Romeo asked.

Murphy dug back into the envelope, pulling out a thick stack of bills, all marked with three digit numbers. "I think we can manage," he commented with a grin.

"God bless that man," Connor said in wonder as he took the bills from Murphy and put them in his coat pocket.

The drive was long and not much was said. When they got to the hotel, which they'd expected to be a little roadside joint but turned out to the Ritz, they went inside and gave their names. They each were handed a key and were told that it was to the master suite. None of them had ever seen a suit before, so when they opened up the door to their rooms, there were surprised to say the least.

"Holy mother of..." Murphy croaked.

"What the bleedin'..." Connor trailed

"This is awesome," Romeo stated simply.

The suite was huge. A spacious living area with luxury recliners and couches took up the area, along with a huge plasma T.V., which had an Xbox 360 hooked up to it. A kitchen area totally stocked with food and had a microwave, which was the extent of all their cooking skills put together. Four doors lead connected to the area, which when the boys checked, proved to be three bedrooms and a large bathroom.

Each chose a room. In Connor's, he found another letter. He read through it once, took a look to the corner of his room and went back to the living area to tell the others of his findings.

"Hey, guys," Connor called out. "Another letter from Smecker."

"Well go on an' read it," Murphy said while flopping down on the couch while Romeo took a recliner.

"'Boys, again, I'm sorry I can't be there right now. Just wait a bit and we should be able to meet up soon. Until then, I've left you with your clothes and some of your personal items,'" Connor read.

"Personal items?" Murphy quizzed.

Without a word, Connor pulled something out from the waistband of his pants and tossed it to Murphy. His brother caught it instinctively. He studied the item, mixed feelings taking over. It was his beloved Rambo knife. The one he'd used to escape Anna, even though he was recaptured. It had also been the blade that he'd been stabbed with. Still, even with the dark memory, the familiar weight of the blade was a comfort to him. He grinned at Connor. "Did Smecker get your stupid rope, too?"

"Aye, he did," Connor smiled back cheekily. "Romeo's flamer- I mean, colorful guns are in my room, too. Along with ours and our phones."

"Sweetness," Romeo beamed. "Hey, I call the first shower. Connor, you think you can put my guns in my room for me?"

"Aye, I can manage that," the lighter twin agreed. After that, Romeo fled to the bathroom, leaving Connor and Murphy alone. Connor excused himself a moment while he did as Romeo had asked, coming back to find Murphy rummaging through the refrigerator.

"What the hell are yah doin' Murphy?"

Murphy turned around, a beer tucked under his right arm, right hand holding another. His left was busy clutching on to a sandwich he'd whipped up and was munching on on while he used his hip to close the door. Though the food in his mouth distorted the words, Connor managed to suss out, "Da'hell does it look like I'm doin'? I'm starved!" With that, he tossed Connor the beer in his hand and took the other for himself.

Connor caught it, grinning. "I like the way yah think, my brother."

Murphy swallowed the food in his mouth and sat down on the couch, Connor following his example. He took a swig from his drink and paused, something obviously on his mind. He looked towards the bathroom door, as if afraid that Romeo could hear what he wanted to say. To be careful, he spoke in Gaelic.

"Cad tá muid ag dul a dhéanamh faoi di, Connor?" _What are we going to do about her, Connor?_

Connor knew who he was talking about. "Cad a dhéanann cheapann tú tá sí ag dul chun teacht in áit ar bith in aice linn?" Connor asked. _What makes you think she's going to come anywhere near us?_

A dark look came into Murphy's eyes. "Ní gá duit a fhios aici mar is féidir liom." _You don't know her like I do._

No, Connor didn't know her like his brother did. He hadn't been the one tortured by her for three days. Still, he didn't want Murphy to worry about Anna right now. Right now was the first time in months that they were free. He needed a distraction.

"Is that an Xbox?" Connor asked, knowing already it was.

Murphy bought it and looked towards the T.V. where the consul glowed it's trademark green light. "Aye, it tis."

"What games do yah think are here?"

"I dunno," Murphy admitted, obviously becoming intrigued with the machine. "Do yah suppose we should take a peep?"

"I think we should, Murphy," Connor goaded.

The two sprang towards the gaming system at the same time, both wrestling to get to the games firsts. Murphy managed to writhe out of Connor's grasp and got himself to the games first. Connor allowed him to pick the first game, which was Call of Duty so he could kill the zombies.

The two played until Romeo came out, who took over Murphy's place when the dark twin decided to steal a turn in the shower. When he came out in clean P.J. pants and a T-shirt, Connor went to take his turn while Murphy downed another beer and took over his controller.

When Connor got back, sporting the same outfit as Murphy, Romeo decided to head off to bed. The brothers wished him a good night while they continued to play several games through the next few hours. It was late and they kept dying because they were so tired, but neither wanted the night to end.

Both laid sprawled on their stomaches in front of the T.V. Their legs would tangle and bump into each other as they battled digital foes on the screen. Eventually, when they could no longer keep their heads up to look at the game, they just lay on the floor in silence as they fought sleep, staring into each other's matching eyes instead.

After a while, Connor's hand came to rest on Murphy's shoulder as he gazed intently at his brother. "We're going ta' look out for each other, right, Murphy? Even if she comes, which I don't think she will."

Murphy flinched at the mention of his worst fear, but felt calm under Connor's touch. "She'll come, Connor. I just know she will. I dunno when or where, but she will. The things she did... the things she tried to do..."

Connor frowned and pulled himself up onto his elbow. "What do you mean by that? The things she tried to do?"

Murphy sighed. He'd never told Connor. It hadn't happened, so why worry about it? Still, he _did_ worry about it. He couldn't help it. So, he rolled to his back, locking his strait fingers with the somewhat crooked ones and rested them on his chest as he spoke of the secret he'd kept all these years.

"She... she tried ta'... After they caught me again, trying ta' get out, she said she wanted ta' own me, Connor. Wanted me ta' be hers. She... went for my belt."

Fury ignited in Connor's eyes, the calm of a sea turning into a an ice storm. "Da'hell do yah mean she went for your belt? You don't mean she-"

"Yeah, that's what I mean, Connor. She tried to rape me."

Connor's jaw snapped shut, a twitch ticking away. He'd known they'd done awful things to his brother. They'd burned him, beaten him, hung him, cut him... horrible things that only Murphy was strong enough to come back from. But had it ever crossed Connor's mind that they might've... No, it really hadn't.

"Did she... Did she...?" Connor couldn't finish. He couldn't say the "r" word. His brother was stronger than him in that sense.

Murphy's eyes met Connor so that he knew that he was being honest when he said, "No, she didn't. I fought her off with all I had. Earned a bit o' punishment, but naw, it didn't happen."

Connor breathed a huge sigh of relief he hadn't realized that he'd been holding in. After all these years, Murphy was more damaged that he'd ever known. Would his brother ever be able to completely heal? Not while that woman still lived, that's for sure.

"If she comes near you again, I'll kill her," Connor promised. "I don't care if she's a woman or not. She's not human to be able to do what she did. She won't be getting near you again, or I'll kill her, Murphy. I swear it."

Murphy nodded. He trusted Connor. No matter what, he knew Connor would go to the ends of the Earth to keep him safe.

"Let's go to bed, yeah?" Murphy prodded, wanting to rest and enjoy the coming day of relaxation with his twin and his friend.

"I think you're gonna have ta' carry me to my room," Connor teased.

Murphy rolled his eyes, but got to his feet and offered his brother a hand up. Connor took it and wobbled a little as he stood. Never letting go of Murphy, he pulled him in for a hug. "I love yah, Murph. An' I do whatever I gotta for yah. Always."

"Love yah, too, Con. Now get your sorry, overtired self to bed before yah pull a Romeo and start cryin' on me," Murphy teased, giving Connor a playful slap on the arm in the direction of his brother's room. Connor nodded and waved over his shoulder without another word before disappearing for the night.

Murphy shook his head lovingly at his brother before trudging wearily to his own room. He hopped into bed and pulled the covers around him in a protective fortress meant to keep his demons at bay for the night. He knew it wouldn't work, it never did, but sometimes, he liked to pretend that a little part of him wasn't... hurt. Because he wasn't broken. And that's something that pissed her off, that she couldn't break him. No, not broken but maybe just a little... cracked.

**B~D~S**

* * *

Murphy woke the next morning knowing something was wrong. He couldn't place what it was, but he knew it was terrible, all the same. He got out of bed and headed to the living space where Romeo sat, playing Xbox.

"Rome, where's Con?" he asked.

Romeo offered a shrug. "Hasn't gotten up, yet."

Murphy frowned. Even after their late night, Connor never slept in. Early to bed, early to rise and all that nonsense. "What time is it?"

"About one. Why?"

Something was very wrong.

Murphy grabbed his knife from the end table and moved with the walk of a predator as he unsheathed it and opened Connor's door. What he saw almost shattered the cracked pieces of his heart.

The bed was unmade, which didn't bother him much other than the fact that sheets were strewn on the floor. However, Connor wasn't in the bed. A note was, trapped under one of Connor's guns.

Murphy lowered the blade as he moved to read the paper. It was a letter. In neat, delicate print, a message was written on it. A message that was addressed to Murphy, calling him a name he hadn't been called in years.

_Connor misses you, pet. So have I._


	4. Prizes and Memories

_Chapter Three Summary: The twins and Romeo are let out of prison, thanks to Smecker, who is unable to contact them but has supplied them with a hotel. They get to relax a while, but as the night wears on, some truths are revealed. Murphy ends up telling Connor that when Anna had taken him, she'd tried to rape him. Though she hadn't, he was still bothered by it and had never told Connor. Connor vows to kill her if he sees her and the two go to bed. Murphy wakes up with a bad feeling the next morning and goes to find Connor. What he finds is that his brother is missing and that he was taken by Anna._

_A/N: Heyo! So here's another one! I have an insane weekend ahead so you may not get another update for a few days, so I hope you enjoy this. I felt after that horrible cliffie that you deserved a little bit of a breather chapter. Many people asked about Connor, and though I didn't plan on even mentioning him until the next chapter, I wrote a little with him in it, just for you. Because we love Connor, right? Thus, I switch the roles. Here's angsty!Connor and here is Murphy-of-pissed-off-awesome-epicness._

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Prizes and Memories_**

A gentle sound of footsteps woke Connor. Still drowsy from his deep sleep, his eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Now, he could make out the shape of a person standing in his doorway to his bedroom.

"Murph?" he mumbled, sleep still coating his voice.

"Try again," the most horrible voice that could've spoken said.

Instantly, Connor was wide awake. She was here. How could _she_ be here? His first thought went to Murphy. Was his brother alright? Had she done anything to him? Had she taken him again, and if she had, what was going to happen to him?

He moved to get up when he heard the cocking of a gun. "If you move, I'll have my man in the other room kill your brother. And I would hate for that to happen. He's still so cute after all this time. Both of you are."

Connor wouldn't dream of endangering Murphy. He stopped moving instantly, frozen in fear for his brother's wellbeing. He glared at her while the woman came closer to him. "What do yah want?" he asked her as she came into view. "What did yah do ta' Murph?"

She looked rougher since he'd last seen her. The years hadn't been kind. Her ink black hair that had once been thick and healthy had thinned and lightened. Her ivory skin looked almost sickly and her bones seemed far too prominent. But her eyes, those green orbs, had remained every the same. They held the same hatred and anger that they always had for him.

"I haven't done a thing to him. Yet. What do I want? Revenge for the ten years I spent locked away because of you is one thing. You couldn't just kill me, could you? You had to let me rot. However, that's not the main reason for this," she explained calmly while knocking him over the head with her gun.

She rolled him onto the floor, Connor hitting with a thud, a soft groan escaping from his unconscious form. She pulled his hands behind his back, using a zip tie and duct tape. Finished with binding his hands, she pulled another piece a tape and covered his mouth so he couldn't wake and call for his brother. No, she wasn't ready for that yet.

"I have a bigger prize in mind," she hissed.

**B~D~S**

* * *

Murphy felt the knife puncture his chest all over again. The moment he had realized that Connor had been taken was the only thing comparably painful enough to that moment all those years ago.

He wanted to crawl into a ball and cry. He wanted to wait for Connor to come and make it all better. But Connor wasn't here. He'd been taken by the person who terrified Murphy more than anyone else in this world. Connor wasn't coming back. That is, unless Murphy went to get him.

The very thought of losing Connor or leaving him to suffer like Murphy had all those years ago spurred him into action. It was an unacceptable thought. He found his cell phone in Connor's room and searched the contacts for the number he hadn't called in years. It rang once... twice...

"Hello, you've reached the voice mail of Paul Smecker-"

Murphy growled as he shut off the answer machine. Smecker wasn't going to be able to helo them this time. And after Greenly... Murphy couldn't force himself to get Dolly and Duffy involved with someone as dangerous as Anna.

That meant he was on his own.

Murphy felt eyes on him. He whipped around to find Romeo reading Anna's letter. "Who wrote this? Where is Connor? What the hell is going on?" Romeo ranted.

Oh, Murphy didn't want to tell him the stories. He didn't want to speak of his horrible past, or of his scars and fears. He didn't want to let the dreadful words that would change his and Romeo's friendship leave his lips. He didn't want Romeo to give him that look of pity that he would receive once his friend found out that he was a victim.

But he needed Romeo to know, because he needed Romeo's help to find and rescue Connor. And Murphy would give anything, even sacrifice his pride, sacrifice his life, to save his brother.

Murphy sighed and shifted his weight, his fear for Connor's life overcoming his awkwardness. "Rome, there's some things I need ta' talk ta' yah about."

Usually, Romeo would've been short with his side of the conversation, but he could hear a defeated tone to Murphy's voice that stopped his rude nature. "What's going on, Murphy?"

"You asked where Connor was. He's been taken," Murphy explained, voice breaking.

Romeo's face became dark. "Well, then we gotta find him."

Murphy let himself smile a little. It was good to know they had such a loyal friend and that he wasn't alone to deal with this. "You also asked about who wrote the letter. She's the one who took Connor. Her name is Anna."

"And who the hell is she? And how do you guys know her?" Romeo asked.

"She's-"

At that moment, Murphy's phone chimed. He pulled it out and opened the text message from Connor's phone that he'd received. His skin crawled as he eyed the screen. He hadn't even known that Connor had kept that damned picture.

Romeo noticed that his friend had frozen, a look of fear coming into his eyes. "Murphy, what is it?"

Murphy almost didn't show him, but he knew Romeo deserved to know. Besides, it would partly answer his question. He handed Romeo the phone and the Mexican looked at it, eyes going wide with what he saw.

"Is this... you?" he asked, eyes not believing what they saw.

A photo of a younger Murphy came up. He was in a chair, hands bound behind his back and ankles tied to the legs of the chair. He was gagged and blood poured from a nasty wound in his hairline. Someone's hand was latched into his hair, slightly longer back then than it was now, wrenching his head back. Still, Murphy glared defiantly back at the camera, an infuriated look in his eyes.

Romeo hated the picture. He'd known something horrible must've happened to Murphy in his past based on all the nights Murphy had cried out in his sleep from night terrors, though he hadn't known what. Though he hadn't even met Murphy when the picture had been taken, the helplessness of his friend's predicament bothered him.

Murphy nodded. "That was taken ten years ago," he told his friend. "Anna, the woman I was talking about, was working for a gang who wanted to make Connor an' me quit bein' Saints. They threatened Connor an' we laid low, but they knocked me over the head while I was out. Took me ta' torture my brother from a distance."

"By torturing you," Romeo concluded.

Murphy sighed and sank down on Connor's bed. "Yeah. Kept me for three days. They'd call Connor and let 'em listen on the phone while they... did things. They were tryin' ta' drive 'em mad."

Did things? Did things? Romeo had no idea what kind of things they'd done, and he wasn't going to ask, though he was curious. He just couldn't forced Murphy to delve that deep into his horrible past. He was surprised his friend was being as honest about it all as he was.

"But you got away," Romeo pointed out. He must've, because Murphy was sitting right there.

"I did. Cut myself free an' called Connor. I got caught, though. Connor came ta' get me an' Anna decided that she was gonna end things. She stabbed me, tried ta' kill me. Hell, my heart stopped three times by the time we'd gotten ta' the hospital. At least, that's what Connor told me after," Murphy said honestly.

Romeo couldn't help but stare at his friend. All this time, ever since he'd heard of the Saints, he'd believed them to be like some kind of super heroes. And then he'd actually got to meet them, become their friend. He learned how strong they were and how loyal they were to each other, and even to him. He'd never have thought that he'd almost missed out on not getting to know one of them. To him, for Murphy to have survived three days of hell, he was even stronger than he'd given him credit for.

Murphy noticed his friend's unwavering gaze. He gave a steely one back, refusing to look weak. "Don't, Rome."

"Don't what?"

"Look at me like yah think I'm gonna break. With pity. I don't want it."

Romeo frowned. "I don't pity you, man. I respect you. Dude, you're so tough. I mean, I always knew you and Connor were badasses, but I never really knew how strong you were. Not until now."

Murphy cleared the the lump from his throat. That hadn't been what he was expecting. Still, he felt better knowing that Romeo wasn't going to act weird around him. "Thanks, Rome."

The Mexican nodded. "So that's how you got all your scars?" he asked, not sure if it was his place.

Murphy shrugged. "Most of them. The ones round me wrists an' the burns on me neck... The cuts in general and they big one on me chest, yeah. The burn on me arm was from a while ago, though," he admitted, accent getting thicker with emotion.

"What happened there?" Romeo asked about his arm.

"A friend, Con and I got in a shootout. Had ta' take care of it ourselves. Used an iron."

Romeo didn't say anything for a minuet. Finally, he said, "Don't ever do that to me. Just take me to a hospital like a normal person, okay?"

Murphy smiled a little. "Fine, an' I'll visit you in jail, which is where you'd end up after yah healed."

Romeo sat down next to Murphy on the bed. "So how are we gonna find Connor?"

Murphy knew the answer, but he didn't want to say it. "She'll do it like last time. She'll call."

"You think that she'll-"

"Yes, Rome. I know she will. She's going ta' hurt him. We can't stop that right now. But we're going ta' find her," Murphy said solemnly. "And then I'm going ta' kill her."

"You sure that's what you want to do?" Romeo asked him. He knew the Saint rule about women and children. but the cold look in Murphy's eyes was nothing he'd ever seen before.

"It has to end," Murphy said with a finality that couldn't be argued with. "As long as she's alive, Connor an' I will never be safe. She'll hunt us until we're dead. This time, it's her or me."

"Connor wouldn't want you talking like that," Romeo admonished.

Murphy snorted. "Yeah, well Connor isn't here, is he?"

"It's not going to do him any good if you get yourself killed by her," Romeo argued. "Connor won't be able to take that. I can't even imagine how he felt when it was you."

"I can," Murphy whispered. Right now, though he had Romeo, he felt very alone, like half of his heart was missing. He was terrified for Connor's safety and Murphy knew that his brother was going to get hurt. He didn't like the fact and he would take the pain for himself if he could, but by accepting the fact, he could prepare for it.

"This is what your nightmares have been about, isn't it?"

"Yeah. At night, when I close my eyes sometimes, I'm there again and those three days start all over," Murphy sighed. "But you know what the worst part is? The end, because it always ends different than it did in real life."

"How does it end?" Romeo asked with surprising gentleness.

Murphy took a breath before continuing. He felt wrong discussing this with Romeo because as much as Murphy loved his friend, he wasn't Connor. Connor, his secret keeper, his brother, best friend, the person who he was supposed to share these things with. But Connor wasn't here and he needed someone...

"Connor comes in ta' get me, just like what happened, only instead of Anna stabbing me, she stabs him. I have to watch him bleed out on the floor in front of me, an' I try ta' get to him, but I just can't get to 'em an' it's killin' me to keep fightin' but I do anyways. And then his eyes go dark and he's gone, but she's still there. And she laughs, Romeo. She just keeps laughing."

"We're gonna get him back, Murphy. I know we will."

"Hell yes we will," Murphy snapped. "No one takes my brother."

Before Romeo could reply, the phone clutched in Murphy's hand rang, causing them both to jump. Murphy looked at the screen, and he already knew, but seeing Connor's name flash on his phone, knowing it wouldn't be his brother on the other end was awful.

Romeo watch his friend take a deep breath, obviously terrified. He couldn't image how Murphy must be feeling. Sure, he'd had psycho ex girlfriends in the past, but nothing like what Murphy had dealt with. And what was worse, as much as he loved his twins, they weren't his family. He couldn't possibly fathom the dedication, the loyalty that those two held for each other.

And now, it was being used against them in the most painful way possible, for the second time.

Murphy breathed. He had to be strong. He had to keep it together for Connor. He knew what he would do. He would answer that phone. He would speak to his demon and ask her what the hell she wanted from him. He would find his brother, or die trying.

And then, a memory came to mind. When he'd woken in the hospital after Connor had saved him, his brother had told him what had happened while he was passed out.

_"I couldn't... I couldn't kill her. I killed every man in that building, but I couldn't kill Anna. She's a woman. We promised to not do that, so..."_

Murphy had respected his brother for that. For not being able to kill the bitch, even after everything. He knew Connor had wanted to, but he'd put his vow before his selfish wants. His brother was a good person, a whole person with no cracks.

Murphy wasn't going to be able to be as good as Connor when he found her. Cracked people could do that.

He answered the phone, murder in his heart and Connor on his mind.


	5. Demands and Desire

_Chapter Four Summary: Connor wakes in the night with someone in his room. It's Anna. Connor moves to fight back, but with his brother's life threatened, he's subdued by the woman, who claims that she has a prize in mind. Murphy is trying to keep it together as he tells Romeo of his past, being a victim of Anna's. He then gets a text from Connor's phone, the picture of him ten years ago, taken captive. Not long after, the phone rings and Murphy answers, knowing that it's the person he's scared of most on the other end._

_A/N: Well, this one is a lot of set up, guys. Anna's just getting started. If you thought she was bad the first time round, you may be a little freaked to hear that she's gone a little fruity in the loops. So here's your chapter, enjoy your angst!_

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Demands and Desire_**

Murphy answered the phone. "Anna," he said, the name rolling off his tongue like it was poison his mouth.

_"Hello, pet. Did you miss me? No? What a shame because I missed you. And this time, we're going to have so much more fun!"_

Her voice, so happy, it light sent shivers down his spine and made his flesh crawl. He was ten years younger and could feel her body penning his down again, her legs tightening on his broken ribs as he tried to buck her off, hands tied and trapped under his back. Her hand roamed around him going down...

"Shut up," Murphy growled, snapping out of his memories. "Where's Connor?"

_"He's here and he's just fine, for now,"_ she giggled into the phone, raising the hair on the back of Murphy's neck.

"I want to talk to him," Murphy demanded.

Anna was silent a moment, and Murphy was afraid that she was going to hang up on him. Finally she answered. _"You don't need to talk to him right now."_

"Yes, I do," Murphy denied. "If he's really fine, prove it and let him tell me himself."

_"You don't trust me, pet?"_

"No, I sure the hell don't," he snapped.

Anna paused again but it was shorted this time. Her voice came through clipped, like she was getting annoyed._ "Fine, you can speak to him for a second. As a... a sign of good faith. You two are all about faith, right?"_

"Just put him on the phone," Murphy wasn't willing to play her games. He just needed to hear Connor's voice, to know that he was still alive.

He heard a shuffling sound as the phone was moved and he could hear the sound of someone breathing, the sound familiar.

"Connor?" Murphy couldn't keep the tremble from his voice.

_"Murph,"_ came a sigh._ "Are yah alright?"_

Murphy wanted to smack his brother in the head. Why the hell was Connor worried about him? He should be focusing on himself. "I'm worried about you, but other than that, I'm fine. Connor, I'm gonna find yah. I'm going ta' come get yah. Where are yah?" Murphy asked quickly, hoping he could get an answer before Anna caught onto them.

_"Murph, don't come here. No matter wha-"_

The sound of Connor's voice cut off by a loud smacking sound. Murphy's blood boiled, knowing Anna had slapped his brother. Her nails had probably sliced open his face, just as they'd done to Murphy when it had been him.

_"Pull something like that again, and I give you a first hand demonstration of what your little brother felt the last time I saw him," _Anna hissed on the other end of the phone.

"Leave him the hell alone!" Murphy yelled into the phone.

_"I'll do what I want, precious,"_ she replied. _"And if you want to want to use that tone with me, your brother will suffer for it."_

"I'm sorry," Murphy said instantly, voice rising an octave with fear. "Don't hurt him."

_"That's better," _she purred.

"What do you want with him? I thought you would want me," Murphy asked her.

_"Oh, but I do, pet,"_ she agreed eagerly._ "In fact, this is all about you. See you were the one. The only one I was never able to break. No matter what I did to you, no matter how I hurt you, you wouldn't break for me. But now, I think I know what'll make you break, darling."_

"Just let him go," Murphy begged. "If you want to deal with me, then deal with me. But let Connor go."

_"Are you asking for a trade, sweetie? Your life for his?"_ she asked, almost like she couldn't believe it.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm asking for," Murphy agreed, ignoring Romeo's wide eyes.

_"Oh, see now I know I'm right. This isn't just about wanting you, pet. That'll come in time. If I'd wanted to, I'd have taken you last night. But this is about making you totally mine. And first, I must break you. Now, I know how to do it. I have to go now, love. I'll be in touch."_

And even though Murphy tried to stop her, she hung up the phone. Now, Murphy didn't feel cracked. Now, he felt fractured.

**B~D~S**

* * *

Connor remained calm as Anna ended the call, once again separating him from his brother. He felt sick at the sound of Murphy's terrified voice over the phone. Connor hated knowing that he was the reason for the worry.

He knew he needed to stay calm and not provoke her. He'd seen the aftermath of what Anna was capable of in the scars on his brother's body. She really hadn't even done anything to Connor yet. As soon as he'd woken up, she'd hurried to call Murphy.

While Connor had come to, she'd spoken to his brother on the phone. His head had cleared enough to discover that he couldn't see anything. Something covered his eyes, blinding him so that he had no idea where he was. He went to remove the object when he realized that he couldn't. His hands were not only bound tightly behind his back, but to the chair that he was seated on as well. Testing himself further, he found that his legs were also tied to the chair.

Before he knew what was happening, something that felt like a phone was pressed to his ear and his twin's breathy and scared voice was saying his name. He tried to warn Murphy away, to tell him to take care of himself, but the phone had been ripped away, and punishment was dealt as a hand made sharpe contact with the right side of his face. It stung, but he knew that things could and probably would get much worse.

Connor could only wait as Anna continued the conversation with his brother. He'd heard Murphy's desperate tone on the other end, but he couldn't really make out the words he spoke. Only when Anna asked if he was willing to trade did Connor understand what Murphy had offered. And Connor knew that he would do it, too. Just as Connor had asked for when it had been Murphy in his place.

Connor couldn't allow that to happen. He knew that Anna had some sick, twisted obsession with his brother. She all but confirmed it with the end of her call, saying that she was going to break his brother, that she was going to make Murphy hers.

He would be dead and rolling in his grave before he'd let that happen. Connor struggled with the rope binding his hands, feeling the familiar slice in his wrists over the old scars. Though he pulled with all he could, they wouldn't give. It was when he felt hands on his shoulders that he stilled.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Anna asked calmly.

Connor knew not to smart off. Unlike Murphy who didn't mind telling giving anyone what-for, Connor knew that he needed to play his cards right. Unlike his brother, Anna didn't like Connor at all, and he knew it. He needed to keep her as calm as he could.

"What are you doing, Anna? This isn't going to help you."

She laughed. "I don't see how it won't. I get to take my revenge on you for sending me to jail while breaking my pet at the same time. It sounds great to me. Killing two birds with one stone, if you will."

"You won't break him," Connor denied. "Murphy won't break for anything. He's strong."

"Oh, I know he's strong," Anna agreed. "After all, it takes a lot to not scream while you're being sliced apart slowly."

Connor bit down hard on his cheek. Oh, he wanted to hurt her. To make her suffer for torturing his brother. For giving Murphy so many years of nightmares, a roadmap of scars on his body. He wanted to curse at her, to lash out, but he didn't. It was what she wanted, to effect him with her words.

But she knew she'd struck a nerve when he didn't respond. So she decided to continue in glorious detail.

"Do you even know how strong he is?" she asked playfully, enjoying the way his jaw tightened. "Did he tell you everything that I did to him?"

"He told me enough," came the short reply.

"Really? Did he tell you that he bore most of his scars for you? That he wouldn't tells us where you were, even as we carved him like a pumpkin? Did you know that it had all been for you that he bled out while tied down just like you are now?"

Connor's heart ached. He'd seen the cuts and lacerations while Murphy had recovered in the hospital. He'd seen the thin white lines that trailed over his twin's arms, his chest. He'd known that they'd wanted information from him. But hearing it all in detail by the person that had left those scars? It hurt more than he would ever admit.

"I guess he didn't," she said dryly. "What about the cigarettes? There's no way he didn't tell you about how we went through his and my own pack before we got bored with that. He wouldn't scream for me, though. Not when that burning ember pressed down on his skin..."

"So what's your plan, huh?" Connor asked, trying to make her stop. He couldn't hear any more. Her words were eating away at him. Eating away at his very soul for not being able to save his twin from that agony.

"My plan?" she asked innocently. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you going to do once you kill me? Murphy isn't stupid. He won't come for a body," Connor informed her. He was bluffing of course. He knew that Murphy would hunt for him until he either saved him or found his body. Still, he wanted Anna to think differently.

"Connor, I don't plan on killing you. Not yet. You haven't paid yet. And you will pay."

"An' just how do yah plan on doin' that?" Connor asked spitefully.

"You're my key, Connor. As long as I have you, your brother will do anything that I want. I know that. And right now, the only thing that I want from him is to break him. The rest can come later, once he's mine."

Connor didn't want to know what "the rest" was that she was talking about.

"It worked out great that you kept that picture. All kind of memories that'll bring up for my little pet. I wonder why you kept it..."

Connor knew why he kept it. So that he could look at it every day and remember how blessed he was. Murphy was alive and that was all that Connor needed. He could go on every day, he could deal with anything, as long as he could do it knowing Murphy was there to have his back. Because he'd almost lost him. He'd almost lost everything.

That picture showed him the miracle that was Murphy.

"But what should I start with?" she asked, pulling him from his thoughts. "I know! How about I give you a tutorial of everything that happened to your brother? That way, you can understand what I'm trying to do. You can feel his pain and you can suffer like he did. I won't even go as far with you as I did him. For you, you'll just get a taste."

If it had been Murphy in his place, the darker twin would've cursed at her, told her where she could stick her tutorial. Connor wanted to rage at her, too. Wanted to kill her for everything that she'd ever done to his brother. Still, Connor knew that he needed to keep himself safe. He needed to look out for himself, or it would end up killing Murphy.

"No, I'll cut you up a little, let you bleed out. I'll burn you until you scream for me. I'll beat you until you're broken and bruised," she drawled. "But, you still won't know everything. You won't know how it feels while I pen your body down with my own and take what's mine. For such a dirty mouth that your brother has, it tastes so sweet."

That did it.

Something in Connor snapped. He snarled at her, for even daring to mention her attempt to violate the person he loved most in this world. He struggled again with his bonds, mumbling curses at her, his fingernails digging into his palms as he fought to escape.

The cold metal brushing against the skin of his throat stilled him. He forced himself to calm down. Getting himself killed would only hurt Murphy, and his brother didn't deserve to be hurt anymore. So he steeled himself as the metal moved from his neck to his collar bone, drawing a thin, sharp line in his skin.

"My pet could see what was coming when I got to play with him," she sighed as if reminiscent. With that, she pulled the blindfold from Connor's head. The light hurt and he shied away, squinting from the pain. When they adjusted, he forced himself to look back at those hateful green orbs.

She grinned. "Your eyes are exactly like his. So beautiful. Soon, he'll be mine again, my prize, and I'll always have those eyes,"

Connor's gaze never faltered as she continued to draw shallow cuts on his body, blood mixing with sweat, stinging him. He made sure he stayed calm, measured. He needed her to believe him when he said, "He will _never_ be yours."

She frowned. "He will if he wants you to live. So, Connor, would you like a cigarette?"


	6. Monsters and Meetings

_Chapter Five Summary: Anna calls Murphy and tells him that she has his brother. Though she wants her pet back, she needs to break him first. She's decided to do that by hurting his brother. She hangs up on him, excited to get to Connor. She not only wants to break Murphy once and for all, but she wants to get her revenge on Connor for the years she spent in jail. She decribes to him in detail the things Murphy suffered all those years ago, claiming that she'll be nicer to Connor as she begins to cut him. Connor tries to defy her by saying that Murphy will never be her's, but she says that he will be if he want's Connor to live._

_A/N: So sorry this one took me so long. Honestly, I was planning posting this in two days, but I managed to sneak some time of my insane schedule. After this chapter, things are going to start getting a little more graphic. A lot more, actually. So enjoy and let me know what you think._

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Monsters and Meetings_**

Anna hadn't always been so cruel. Once, she'd been gentle and kind. Once, she'd had a family. Once, she'd had _him_.

She'd loved her husband. Her loving, adoring, wonderful husband with his thick dark hair and those bright blue eyes that would light up just for her. The same blue eyes that their daughter had.

He had always been good to her. They'd met as teenagers, married young, and their love for each other had only grown stronger as the years passed. He was always so kind and gentle, bringing her flowers for no reason, kissing her lovingly on the nose when waking up to her in the mornings. Anna simply adored him.

As much as she loved her husband, he'd scared her sometimes. Not that she thought that he would ever hurt her. He would never do that to her. But she didn't like the company he kept, or some of the things that he did. They were rough people who often got her husband in on their trouble.

But she loved him. With all her heart, she loved him. She trusted that he would be able to keep that part of his life separate from their family. Her trust had been misplaced.

Anna had been out at the supermarket the day that he life went to hell. She'd went to get supplies for dinner that night. She was missing Venice, her childhood home, and had decided to make spaghetti with garlic bread. She'd even bought a tub of ice cream for her daughter, Mae. Strawberry, Mae's favorite.

She didn't suspect that anything thing wrong when she came home and started to put away her groceries. She didn't know that her life wouldn't ever be the same again from that day on.

"Mae!" she called to her little girl, "Mommy got you a surprise!"

When the eight-year-old didn't reply, Anna knew that something was very wrong.

Anna put down her bag, fear gripping her heart as she climbed the stairs to Mae's room. She called to her child once more before opening the door.

Mae loved butterflies. She loved their bright colors and the gentle nature of the creatures, much like her own. The child insisted on putting images of the creatures on her wall, a riot of color on the pale white walls.

When Anna opened the door, the first thing that she noticed was that the wings were stained with blood. Then, before the gun hit her over the head and rough hands dragged her body away to a life she never wished for, she glimpsed the bodies of her family.

The next few years hadn't been kind. Over the next few years, she'd become a monster.

Alone and broken, she fell in with horrible people, working for the head of the Diablos gang. She'd become a weapon, doing things to others that had been done to her.

Anna hid her feelings about her late husband well. She tried to not focus on the anger, the hatred that burned in her blackened heart for him. She spent her years learning to break people, to channel all the aggression she held in her soul on some poor sap who was brought into her.

It was the day a young Irishman named Murphy had been brought in and tied to her chair, hurling curses and threats at them, that something in her snapped. She could still remember the the first time that she'd seen his face. Saw those icy blue eyes glaring up at her, that dark hair his blood was soaked into. He looked so much like _him_. So young, so innocent with those _blue_ eyes.

Anna knew that day that she hated herself because as much as she hated her husband, she still loved him. It was this young man that had been given to her to break to make her understand that. But she was still so... so angry.

So she took it all out on the Saint. She let him suffer for her husband's sins because someone had to pay. Someone else needed to feel as broken as she did. But the boy had been strong, and she found it odd that as she used way that she knew to torture him, she found herself wanting him, wanting to taste those bloody split lips, because maybe he would taste like _him_.

It was then that she decided. Decided that he would be her's. She wouldn't be the only one broken anymore. She would make sure or that.

**B~D~S**

* * *

Murphy was livid. He snapped the clip into his gun, ready to use every bullet. He was going to save his brother, no matter what the cost.

"We don't even know where, they are," Romeo said while loading his own weapons. He was worried. He'd seen his friend angry before, but he'd never seen him deadly calm. Connor was the calm one, the one who thought things through. Murphy was the emotional one, the one who fought with everything he had. Murphy has a full heart, but it was easily broken when it came to his brother.

"I'm going to find them," Murphy claimed. "If she won't tell me where they are, I'll hunt her down." He pulled a black duffle bag onto the bed. In it, he put Connor's loaded guns and rope, along with some ammo and another Rambo knife.

"And how are you going to find her? She could be anywhere, Murphy."

"She's in Boston. In the area," Murphy reasoned. "She won't take him too far. In the end, she'll want to see me. She'll _want_ me to find her."

"Still, Boston is a pretty big city in case you haven't noticed," Romeo continued to argue.

"I'll go to the prison she was at and see if they know anything. Maybe she talked to a cell mate or something about her plans. I'll see where that goes." He put his guns in his holsters and began to strap on his knife.

"Well, what will you do when you find her?"

"I'll kill her," Murphy growled.

"She'll have Connor," Romeo pointed out.

"I'll kill her quickly."

"Before or after she kills him?" the Mexican asked. He didn't miss Murphy's fingers curl into a fist. For a moment, he thought he was about to be on the wrong side of a MacManus. But Murphy managed to stay calm for the most part.

"She won't kill him. Not yet. She wants this to effect me, to make me suffer, and if she kills him, it'll all be over too fast for her taste. She'll take her time before she does enough damage to be life-threatening. And she'll call back before the day is out."

"You sure?"

The phone rang, answering Romeo's question. It was Connor's number.

Murphy felt a tremor of fear run through his body, up and down his spine and taking lodge in the pit of his stomach. Every time Anna had called Connor when it had been Murphy in his brother's current place, they'd tormented Connor by making him listen while they'd hurt Murphy.

Murphy hopped this wouldn't be the case because not only did it break your heart to be on the listening end, but he knew the agony of being on the other side.

Murphy answered. "Anna."

"Hello, pet. What are you up to?"

"Hunting," Murphy replied cryptically. Let the woman wonder.

He could hear her pause, wondering what he meant. Then she laughed. "Sounds boring. But you know what isn't boring? Cutting open your brother."

"Leave him the hell alone!" Murphy growled.

"Fine by me," Anna sighed. "I was needing a break anyways." She paused, shuffling around on the other end of the phone, causing worry to coil in Murphy's stomach. "I'm just going to take a smoke break. Connor looks like he could use one."

Murphy's blood ran cold. "No! Don't!" he yelled into the phone, desperately trying to save his brother from a pain that he knew very well.

But Anna paid no attention to him other than savoring the broken note to the darker twin's tone. Murphy could imagine her now, smirking as she pulled a cigarette from the pack. Though he couldn't see what was happening to Connor, he knew from experience what was going to take place.

He jumped when he heard the switch of a lighter. The scars that littered his arms and neck seemed to ignite to the noise. They burned like fresh on his skin, the embers glowing in the tortured part of his mind as he tried once more to stop her. "Anna, don't! Stop!"

But his only reply was a high giggle as the sharp intake of air that came from Connor trying to hold in a pained gasp. Murphy could practically feel his brother's pain, knowing exactly what it had felt like.

"Enjoying the show, pet?" she asked when she was finished burning his twin. "I bet you remember how all this felt. You know, this will be good for you two. A bonding experience, if you will. Now, big brother will finally be able to understand why you're so close to breaking for me. Or, maybe you're not. If that's the the case, I can continue-"

"Don't touch him!" Murphy yelped. "Leave 'em alone!"

"Have I made my point?" she asked sharply. "Do you finally understand that I own you? Or do I need to start breaking fingers?"

"No!" Murphy cried out in terror, his left fist clinching, the slightly crooking fingers fisting until his nails dug into the skin of his palm. He grounded himself in the pain. He needed to feel it. He needed to be able to focus so he could save Connor.

"You sure?" she asked, enjoying her sick game. "Because I'd be more than happy to-"

"No! That's enough! Just stop. Please! I'll do anything."

Anna giggled. "And there it is. Finally, my precious Saint begs. I knew that this had to be the way. I knew that there had to be a way to break you."

"What do you want, Anna?" Murphy sighed, trying to block out Romeo's steady gaze, trying to hear his brother in the background. "I'll do anything. Whatever you want. Let Connor go. This is between you and me."

"And what do I have to gain from that?" she pondered. "I deserve my revenge. I do. So why would I stop?"

"I'll give you anything," Murphy choked on his words. "Anything. Just let my brother go. Please."

It was quiet. Dread filled his heart as he waited. "Alright, precious. I'll leave Connor alone. But It'll come at a cost. Nothing in this world is free."

"Name it," Murphy said. He'd do, say, or give anything for Connor. Connor, his brother, his friend, his protector. Anything was worth what he meant to Murphy.

"I want... Oh, I don't know... I want..." she trailed, even though he knew very well that she already had something in mind.

"Tell me," he prodded.

"I think I'll take your previous offer. You. I'll take you. Your life for his."

Before Murphy could say anything, a struggle broke out over the phone. "Don't you do it, Murph! Don't you even dare!" A smack resonated through the phone, silencing Connor.

"You shut up," Anna ordered, her tone deadly. She returned her attention to Murphy. "So... do we have a deal?"

Without hesitation, "Yes, we have a deal." Anything. Anything was worth Connor's life, including his own.

"You're sure? You're willing to be mine? For him?"

He knew what she was implying. He knew what it all meant. If he traded himself to save Connor, he would be sentencing himself to a slow an painful death. Anna would kill him, of that he had no doubt. She would take her time about it, too. She would savor every second, making him suffer.

But if it would save Connor, he would never regret it.

"When do we do this?" he asked.

"Whenever you're ready, at the place where this all started. I'll entertain my guest until then. But don't take too long, dear. I'll miss you too much."

And then she was gone.

Murphy stuffed his phone into his pocket. He was doing his best to ignore the look Romeo was giving him. "Don't start," he commanded while zipping up his duffle bag.

"You can't do this, Murphy."

"Watch me! I'm going to save Connor. You can come or stay."

"I'll always come with you, man," Romeo said softly. "I just think we should try to figure out another way. _Any_ other way."

"There _is_ no other way," Murphy said with resign, eyes meeting his friend's. Romeo could see the fear there. Murphy was afraid. Afraid of Anna, of what could be happening to Connor. But he could also see the pure determination in those orbs of ice.

"Look, Rome, I have to do this. I'm not goin' down without a fight, but I'm gonna need to take care of Connor, first. If you help me with him, I can take care o' myself"

"Alright," Romeo agreed with a heavy heart. He felt terrible, like he was giving permission for his friend to go on a suicide mission. Because that's exactly what this was. Still, he knew there was no stopping Murphy, so he decided to help as best as he could. "When do you want to go?"

Murphy sighed, shoulders falling in defeat. Though he was terrified, he was relieved to know that even if things when badly for him today, that Connor would still have Romeo around. Connor would need him, because he relied so much on Murphy. But if Murphy wasn't able to be there for him, he would need someone.

"Soon. I have something I have to do first."


	7. Letters and Games

_Chapter Six Summary: Anna once had been normal, until the day that her family was killed. From then on, she snapped, balming her husband for everything. But she still loves him and feels conflicted the day she meets Murphy, who looks a lot like her husband. She sees him a something to take it all out on, she wants to break him, to punish him. However, a sick part of her almost loves him. Anna calls Murphy and hurts Connor. Murphy begs her to stop and arranges to trade places with Connor. Murphy gets ready to go, fully planing on dying._

_A/N: So here you go. Uhmm, I don't want to spoil the chapter, so there's another note at the end asking for a little help if you don't mind. I hope that you enjoy the chapter, which happens to include baby!MacManus! _

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Letters and Games_**

Not many people have the blessing of being ready to die. Not many people were prepared for it. This wasn't the case for Murphy MacManus. However, though he'd faced death many times before, it had never seemed so real as now.

He'd have liked to gone to church. He wanted to pray in the house of The Lord one last time, to take strength from his Heavenly Father before going to do what he had to do. Because he was scared out of his mind. Best worst case situation, the monster that had tortured him would trade him for his brother. That was, if everything went well.

But there wasn't time for that. Connor needed him soon, so if going to meet Anna while scared out of his mind was his only option, then so be it.

But there was one thing he needed to do before he went to meet the end. He needed... He needed to be able to tell Connor goodbye, because he honestly didn't believe that he would be able to walk away from this one. He had to let Connor know... Because he didn't know if he'd ever get to speak to him again.

Murphy needed to be alone for a few minutes. That's all this would take, just a few of his last minutes. He closed the door and pulled out a pen and some hotel stationary he'd found. This wasn't supposed to be fancy, just true.

Murphy sat on the bed and thought about what he wanted to saw. Then, when he had found the words, he wrote them down. He tried to make the letters neat, but his hand refused to stop shaking. He had to pause a few times to take a breath, but he wasn't even trying to hold back the tears.

Finally, he finished.

He folded the piece of paper up twice and slid it carefully into his back pocket. Then, he picked up his bag, made sure he had his guns, and headed out to the living area. Romeo was waiting for him, a sad look in his eyes. "Ready," he told the Mexican. "You still have the fruity little spic-mobile?"

Romeo nodded. "Went and called my uncle. He brought it here a few minutes ago."

"Good. Let's go. I'll tell you how to get there," Murphy called over his shoulder as he went to the hotel hallway.

"You know where we're going?" Romeo asked as he followed.

"Yeah. It's not really something I could forget," Murphy said cryptically as they made their way to Romeo's car, which Murphy had long ago affectionately named the spic-mobile. They got in and Murphy gave him the directions. The ride wasn't too long and before they knew it, they'd ended up at some warehouse.

Romeo couldn't help but notice that Murphy didn't move to get out of the car, even when he'd parked it and cut the engine. He could see the haunted, far-off look in his friend's eyes. "What is this place?"

Murphy blink slowly, trying to remain calm. "This is where it started, Rome. This is... is where Connor came and got me ten years ago."

"Oh," Romeo said. He got it. This is where Anna had taken Murphy. Where she'd done horrible things to him that the Saint hadn't been willing to share. Where he'd received too many scars to count. Where he was about to return to in order to save his brother from the same fate.

Romeo could feel the tears coming. Afraid of being teased, he sniffled and attempted to hold them back as he got out of the car. Murphy followed his lead and the two met up by the hood.

Murphy dug his hand into his back pocket. He pulled out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to his friend. Hesitantly, Romeo took it and flipped it around in his hands. He could feel the indentions in it from where the pen had been pressed into the paper, along with crinkly spots where tears had soaked into it.

"I need you ta' do somethin' for me, Rome," Murphy started out. "I'm going in there ta' get Connor. I don't know if I'll be comin' out with him or not. If I do, then great. If not, and I need you ta' do this Rome, if I'm not back out thirty minutes after Connor comes, yah need ta' take him to the hospital and get him looked after."

Romeo frowned. "You want me to leave you here?"

"Yes. An' I want yah ta' give that ta' Connor when he's calmed down a bit," Murphy instructed.

"He'll hate me, you know," Romeo told his friend, not even caring that he was crying. "He'll hate me if I leave you here."

Murphy knew he was right, but he shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. He was going to make this as easy on the Mexican as he could. "He'll get over it. But Rome, you can't let Connor be upset with himself if I don't come back. Make sure he knows that it's not his fault, right?"

"I-I'll do m-m-my best, M-M-Murphy," Romeo cried, refusing to meet his friend's eyes.

Murphy felt one of his own tears escape. He quickly brushed it away and patted Romeo on the shoulder. "Hey, no cryin' now! There's nothin' ta' cry about. Can't believe you're countin' me out already," Murphy teased.

But they both knew. They knew that Murphy probably wouldn't walk away from this.

"Right," Romeo sniffled, wiping away the tears. "Are you sure you wanna do this, man? I can go in there with you."

"I'm sure. Just... take care of my brother, alright? Can yah do that for me?" Murphy asked quietly. He was putting all his faith into his friend.

"Yeah, I can do that for you, Murphy," Romeo said while slipping the piece of paper into his pocket. "You're familia."

Murphy smiled and reached out, pulling Romeo into a hug. "Thank you, brother."

Murphy pulled away. He turned on his heel and walked towards the warehouse. His heart pounded in his chest, fear encompassing him. But he wouldn't stop. This wouldn't end until either he or she died, and Connor was safe. He would do anything to save Connor, even sacrifice himself. And so he left Romeo alone.

And he didn't look back.

**B~D~S**

* * *

_Connor was absolutely terrified. He sat in his sixth grade history class, the last class of the day, while the teacher passed out the test that he'd known was coming but had failed to study for. Connor hated history. Not because of the subject, but because it was one of the two classes that his didn't share with Murphy. He hated being separated from his twin, even if it was only for an hour._

_Connor bowed his head in a silent prayer, asking the good Lord to grant him the luck of the Irish for this exam. He was about to take a stab at the first question when his prayers were answered in the form of a not-so-angel. The grouchy school secretary pulled him from the class, saying the principal wanted to see him._

_She lead him down the hallway and placed him in a seat just outside the door to Mr. Locke's office. Then she left him to his thoughts, were were running rampant over the memories over the past few weeks, trying to remember anything that he may have done as of recent to get him into trouble. He and Murphy hadn't played one of their legendary pranks as of late, nor were their grades ever an issue. So what could it be?_

_Just then, Jerry Rae came out of Mr. Locke's office. He didn't look too pretty. He had a bloody nose and a fresh bruise blooming on his cheek. He walked over with a limp to Connor and pointed over his shoulder to the door. "Mr. Locke wants you now," he said before hobbling off. Whoever had given him a tossing hadn't been happy._

_Connor took a deep breath as he walked towards the office. Did Mr. Locke think that he'd done rearranged Jerry's face? Connor hopped not. Sure, he'd gotten into a few scuffles before, but not anything as of late. Still, not one to back down to fear, Connor strode into the room._

_Luckily, he wasn't alone. A boy sat across from Mr. Locke's desk. Though Connor could only see the boy from the back, he recognized the dark mop of hair to be Murphy. Before he could call out to his twin, Mr. Locke pointed to the chair next his brother and said, "Have a seat, Me. MacManus."_

_Connor obeyed, but it was then that he caught sight of his brother's face. Blood poured from not only Murphy's nose, but from nasty cuts all over his face. His left eye was already swelling shut while the right only remained black. There was a split in his lip that allowed a steady trickle of blood to flow._

_"Murph, what happened? Are yah alright?" Connor asked, leaping from his chair to crouch by his brother's side. His fingers ghosted over his brother's face, trying to assess the damage done when Mr. Locke coughed loudly._

_"Look, boys, I know that you both are good kids. You're smart, kind, loyal, but you two get into too many fights. This needs to stop," the principal said sternly._

_"I have no idea what's going on," Connor insisted, clutching Murphy's hand in his own._

_"Well, it would seem that Murphy and Jeremy had a little disagreement. Now, I understand that Jeremy is a bit... standoffish at times, but it was Murphy who threw the first punch today."_

_Connor looked to his brother in surprise, who in turn refused to look at anyone. It was never like Murphy to throw the first punch. Sure, he'd wanted to at times, as had Connor, but their mother had always asked them to never react with violence unless it came to that, unless you felt in your heart that it was necessary. So why had Murphy felt it so important?_

_"How much trouble is he in?" Connor asked._

_"Since this is his first time that it wasn't in self defense, I'm willing to let him go with a warning," Mr. Locke said gently. "Like I said, you're good boys. I just don't want this to become a habit, because next time I won't be able to be so lenient."_

_"Obliged, sir," Connor told the man. "But why was I called up here?"_

_"He's pretty banged up. I think Mr. Murphy MacManus needs to go home. Would you take him or should I call your mother?"_

_"No," Connor interjected. "I'll take him home, sir. Thank you." With that, he pulled on Murphy's tattered long sleeve and pulled the darker twin out of the room. On the way out the door, Connor yet again forgot his history book in his haste to get Murphy home._

_The two walked the long dirt roads and the green fields back to their home. Murphy was limping badly and clutching his shoulder. Connor prayed that it wasn't dislocated or anything. He stayed by his brother's side the whole while, making sure that if he fell that he would catch him. He didn't ask Murphy about the fight. He knew he would say when he felt good and ready._

_It wasn't until they'd locked themselves in their room that Murphy said a word. Connor sat him down on the bed while he went to get a wet rag and bandages for his brother. When he came back, Murphy was worrying away at the thumbnail of his. It was then that Connor caught sight of the bloody knuckles._

_Connor sighed and sat down by his twin, pulling this hand into his lap so he could wipe away the blood from the torn skin. "Thanks," Murphy huffed before Connor moved to take care of his face._

_Connor only nodded. "'S what we do, Macho Murph."_

_"You wanna know why."_

_"I'm not gonna ask."_

_"But you wanna know."_

_"Aye," Connor allowed. He wanted to know why he'd be beating Jerry up later for all of these nasty little cuts over his brother's face. "Da'hell did he cut yah with, Murph?"_

_"The wop was wearin' a ring," Murphy explained. Connor couldn't stop the little growl that escaped from the back of his throat. His grip must've gotten harsher because he saw Murphy wince._

_"Sorry."_

_"'M Fine."_

_"So you were sayin'," Connor prodded._

_"He was sayin' stuff he had no business sayin'," Murphy snapped. "Talkin' about Ma, and Da. Sayin' Ma was a bunch o' nasty stuff because she dinnit know where Da was. S'not her fault he's not here."_

_Connor frowned. "They're just words, Murphy. Ma wouldn't want yah getting banged up for somethin' silly like that."_

_"T'wasn't just words, Con. Jerry said he was gonna jump yah after school. Jerry had it all planned out. They were waitin' for yah and I just happened on 'em."_

_So that's what Murphy had flipped over. The idiot had been worrying about Connor. The fairer twin sighed as he finished doctoring the darker's face. Then, he pulled the edge of Murphy's shirt up, trying to asses any further damage. The other flinched away._

_"'M fine, Connor. I just dinnit want yah gettin' hurt."_

_"Well, yah don't need ta worry about that. I'm fine an' you're fine. If Ma asks about why yah look like a piñata, we'll just tell her that yah ticked me off, right?"_

_Murphy laughed at that, though it hurt his bruised ribs. "Okay, Con. Thanks."_

_"It's what big brothers do," Connor teased._

_"I'm the oldest and you know it!" Murphy argued just as Connor had predicted._

_"Keep tellin' yourself that, little brother."_

_"Connor! I'm warnin' yah!"..._

..."Wakey, wakey, Connor. Little brother is going to be here, soon," that voice called him back from his memory. After a while, all he could do was take comfort in all the memories. Back to Ireland where everything was green and simple. Where the worst monster that you came across was yourself depending on the amount of trouble you caused.

Not other people who deliberately want to hurt you.

Connor opened his eyes as best he could. One was swollen a bit, but it still functioned. He leaned back in the chair and glared up at the monster who was trying to ruin everything.

"He's... he's not coming," Connor denied, as if saying the words could make them true. He hopped Murphy wouldn't come, but he knew his brother better than that. The idiot was probably already on his way in.

"Oh, but he is," Anna disagreed while looking towards the door. And there stood the last person Connor wanted to see at that moment. Murphy looked... well, he looked scary. His dark hair was a mess, sticking up at all kinds of odd ends like he hadn't been able to sleep. The look on his face was livid, like he had murder on his mind.

Anna ginned like a child on Christmas day as she moved behind Connor, pressing a gun to his head. Murphy stayed stone still as he watched his brother.

"Con, you alright?" he called to his twin. He could see that Connor was a little cut up and had earned a few bruises and burns. Murphy knew that Connor was hurt, but it honestly didn't look like anything too serious. He would get Connor out of here and Romeo could take care of everything.

"Peachy," Connor huffed.

"Okay, so I'm here," Murphy directed at Anna. "Let Connor go."

"Your weapons," Anna pointed out. "Toss them."

Murphy didn't move, so she pulled a knife out and pressed it to Connor's throat. Murphy flinched and moved towards his weapons. Slowly, he tossed the guns away from him.

"And your knife," she said drawing the blade across Connor's skin a little.

Murphy obeyed instantly. How could he not when she had his brother?

"That's it," he told her. "Now let Connor go. I can take him out to the car and then I'm yours," he offered her.

But Anna wasn't buying it. "Yeah, right. I'm not done yet," she snarled while she walked over to Murphy. She kept the gun trained on Connor as she moved so he could do nothing. Murphy couldn't help but tremble as she drew closer. She scared the hell out of him, and here she was, the monster of his nightmares come to visit him in reality.

But Anna hit him over the head with the gun, and suddenly, Murphy wasn't thinking very much anymore. His body crumpled to the ground while Connor screamed.

"Leave him alone!" Connor yelled as he tugged on his bonds violently, thrashing to get free so he could save his brother.

"I don't think so," Anna grinned. "In fact, I think I'll be keeping you both. Now, the games can finally begin. Now, I can truly take what's mine."

* * *

_A/N: So... honestly, I have the VERY end planned out, which should be in the chapter after the next, but the next chapter is a bit of a blur in my mind. I have so basic things that are going to happen, and they are not nice for the boys, but I would like a few extra ideas on what you think Anna may do... So... help?_


	8. Apologies and Screams

_Chapter Seven Summary: Murphy prepares to meet Anna, fully believing that he will die. He says goodbye to Romeo and gives him a letter that is meant for Connor if Murphy doesn't come back. Murphy then goes into the building to save his brother by sacrificing himself. But Anna changes the plans and knocks Murphy out, deciding the keep both brothers._

_A/N: This chapter. This chapter was honestly the hardest thing I've ever written in my life. I cried I don't know how many times while writing this. It's really... it's rough, guys. I really wouldn't blame you if you wanted to skip this one and just read the next one when posted. I'll work it so that it's possible to do so if things are too heavy for you. I want to say thank you to those who read/subscribe and review. I'd also like to thank those who helped me with this chapter._

_Warning: This chapter is graphic and contains mature content and the kind of feels that will make you want to curl up into a ball in the corner of a dark room and die. At least, that's what I'm off to do after posting this._

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Apologies and Screams_**

Romeo was beyond freaking out. It was been well over an hour since he'd watched Murphy head inside and he was starting to get a bad feeling.

He'd tried to busy himself while he waited for a sign of either of the twins. He'd unloaded and reloaded his guns several times. When that had ceased to distract him, he began to feel Murphy's letter in his back pocket burn. He was very curious as to what it said. But Murphy's words had been meant for Connor and only Connor, not Romeo.

Still, not having anything to do was driving him crazy. Feeling guilty, he pulled the letter from his pocket. He considered replacing it once before he forged on, unfolding the note. His dark eyes latched onto the first words.

_If your name isn't Connor MacManus (Yes, you, Romeo.), then screw off._

Instantly, Romeo dropped it paper his lap like a child who'd been caught sneaking cookies from the cookie jar. Then, he folded it up and shoved it back into his pocket. If Murphy didn't want him to read it, then he wouldn't.

But right now, he had nothing to do, and the minutes were creeping by way too slowly. It had been an hour. Too long. It wasn't sitting right with the Mexican. Something was wrong.

He got out of the car, his guns ready. The building was huge. It's shadow loomed in the high noon sun. The broken windows gave in a look that made is seem quite daunting. Still, Romeo's loyalty to his friends overcame his nerves about what ghost could lay inside. He forged on in.

Romeo stumbled through the dark maze of narrow halls. Finally, he came upon a large door. He found that it was locked, but he felt that is was best to press on instead of try to find his way back in the dark.

He threw his weight against the door. It gave a solid thud, but didn't budge. Romeo cursed and rubbed his arm where he'd impacted. He said a silent prayer before he tried again.

This time, the door busted open. Romeo fell inside to the floor, continuing to sputter curses. He collected himself before standing up and scoping out the room. He quickly saw that he wasn't alone.

"Oh, hell, Connor!" he exclaimed. He rushed to his injured friend's side as fast as he could.

Connor's head lulled, his chin resting on his bloody chest. He was slumped over in the chair he was seated in, hands bound behind his back. He was bloody, beaten, and flirting with consciousness.

Romeo searched the room. On the floor, lay a knife. He went to get it and then moved back to cut Connor lose when he realized that the knife belonged to Murphy. It's owner was nowhere in sight.

"Connor, man, hang in there," Romeo called to him as the bloody rope fell to the ground. Romeo now noticed that the floor around Connor was soaked wet, water covering it. Romeo could feel the liquid seeping into his boots.

Connor's eyes rolled as he held on to consciousness by the skin of his teeth. Everything hurt, but he didn't care. He had to tell Murphy... had to tell him... "Murph?" he asked, his voice strained with pain.

"Naw, man, it's me, Romeo," his friend said while vigorously rubbing Connor's hands and fingers, trying to get the circulation to work. He was happy that Connor was at least talking.

Connor didn't acknowledge his friend. He had to... to tell Murphy... oh, Murphy, how could he? "Murphy, I'm sorry," he cried. "I won't do it anymore! So sorry, Murph... Please... Forgive me..."

Now Romeo was worried. Connor was rambling nonsense. He was delusional. Romeo didn't like it, but he knew that it had to be done. He reeled back and smacked Connor across his bruised face hard enough to get his attention. "Connor, snap out of it! Murphy isn't here!"

Suddenly, an awareness lit in Connor's eyes. "Rome?"

"Yeah, it's me," Romeo sighed, glad to be making progress. "Listen, Connor, I know you're pretty messed up, but if you know where Murphy is, tell me and I'll go after him."

Connor rose to his feet shakily. He swayed once from the blood loss, but recovered quickly. "She.. She took him. Went ta' her... her car," he stuttered out. I wobbled unsteadily to where Murphy's guns had been tossed before all hell had broken loose. He stooped and picked them up. "I'm comin' with yah."

Romeo frowned. Connor didn't look too hot. Still, he knew what direction that woman had left. But he felt that he needed to ask, "Do you feel up to it, bud? I mean, you don't look so good."

Connor's eyes steeled. He needed to make things right. He needed to tell Murphy how sorry he was for everything, that he'll never do it again. But first, he was going to kill that woman who made him watch while she... To Murphy... Made him...

No, he couldn't think about. Not right now. Now, only one thing mattered.

"I'm going to get my brother."

**B~D~S**

* * *

Connor didn't know if he'd ever been more terrified than he was then. Anna dragged Murphy's body over to a support beam in the room, propping him up. It was thin enough that she could use it. She went over to the table after dropping off Murphy and returned to him after grabbing some rope that had rested there.

Then, she pulled Murphy's arms behind his back around the base of the poll before tying his hands behind him so that he was rooted to the structure. When she was happy with the setup, she moved back over to Connor.

He flinched away from her when the came close, but she just grabbed the back of his chair. Using all of her strength, she pulled him across the floor over by where Murphy's long legs were sprawled out. She turned him so that he was facing towards his brother, unable to look away from where Murphy was bound at his feet.

Anna produced another length of rope. She knelt down as she straitened out Murphy's legs. She then looped the rope around his ankles until it was tight enough to bite into the skin. She then tethered the other end to the base of Connor's chair with the rest of the slack, allowing no give to the restraints, also effectively tying the two brother's together.

Anna pulled her knife and stepped up beside Connor. She dug the tip into the flesh of his chest and dragged a deep line. "Is this sharp enough? Only the best for my precious," she asked like she was doing them a kindness.

Connor hissed but refused to answer. He would hold out now. When Murphy woke up, he knew things would only get worse.

Anna nodded approvingly as Connor bled. She wiped the blood clean on his pant leg before moving over to Murphy.

"Leave him alone," Connor barked. He leaned forward as far as he could, attempting to draw her attention away from his vulnerable brother.

She wasn't having it. All her attention was focused on Murphy's unconscious form. She moved closer to him. Gently, like a lover, she traced the hard line of his jaw with the tips of her long, thin fingers.

Connor didn't like that one bit. Suddenly, Murphy's voice was in his ears. He remembered the conversation he'd had with his brother on the floor of the suite.

_"Yeah, that's what I mean, Connor. She tried to rape me."_

Connor really didn't like her touching his brother like that.

"Hello, my pet. It's time to wake up," she cooed to Murphy's still form. When he didn't respond to her, Connor saw annoyance flash over her gaunt features. Quickly, she reached out and slapped Murphy across the face.

Murphy's head jerked up. His blue eyes snapped open, wide and fearful as he noted the new setup. He tried to jerk his hands and feet free, but the bonds had no give. He was completely helpless.

Murphy looked up into Connor's wide matching eyes. Connor didn't know how to interpret the look on his twin's face because he'd never seen the expression on his face before. It was a look of absolute terror. Everything in Connor screamed at him to do something and save his brother.

"Con," Murphy whispered. He'd just uttered his twin's name when Anna leaned back and drove the tip of her blade down Connor's leg, causing the fairer twin to flinch in pain.

"Don't talk to him, or I'll hurt him," Anna commanded.

Murphy nodded in consent immediately. He knew how this worked. He knew how he would play this. He would keep her attention and pray to God that at least Connor came out of this alive.

"Now, it's been such a long time since I've seen you, pet. It's been too long," she said softly to Murphy as her knife came around to him. The tip snagged at the collar of his shirt. She jerked it, ripping the material until his chest was exposed. "It seems to me that we should get reacquainted."

Murphy was deadly still. He didn't look at Anna. He didn't look at the knife. He looked at Connor, and though his brother looked absolutely terrified, he took strength in his presence. If Connor hadn't been there, Murphy probably would've been more reckless. He'd be cussing her out by now and hold no bars against fighting back. It would earn him punishment, but to him, it was worth it. But he couldn't make Connor watch that. So he kept still.

"Let's see," Anna said playfully as she seated herself on Murphy's legs, penning them to the ground. She didn't weigh much, but Murphy hated feeling penned down by her after she'd almost... Last time...

He stiffened as she came closer. Fear had totally closed off his airways. He couldn't help but flinch when the blade met his skin in a sickly familiar way. "Guess we can start by reopening every mark I've ever put on your body," Anna whispered as the knife bit into his skin over one of his many long, pale scars.

Connor growled and thrashed, trying to go to Murphy's aid. He could see the pain flash on his brother's face as Anna began to trace his scars, but Murphy took notice that Connor had seen and tried to hide his suffering for his brother's sake. Still, Connor could see it in his eyes how much he was hurting.

"Leave him the hell alone!" Connor screamed at her.

Anna whirled on him, knife still trained on Murphy. "Unless you want me to carve my name into him, you'll shut up."

Connor stilled instantly, his jaw closing with an almost audible click. He couldn't let her do that to Murphy. He couldn't let her _brand_ him. So as much as it killed him, he remained silent as Murphy suffered, biting his tongue to stifle the protests that would only cost him more.

He wanted to look away from the terrible sight of his twin being tortured at his feet. The image made him sick to his stomach. But he couldn't. Not when Murphy's pain-filled eyes sought his out, asking for comfort. So he watched while she sliced his brother open.

Finally, the blade came to hover over the scar. The one she'd given him ten years ago when she'd stabbed him. It was thicker and more prominent than all the others. Long and white, just a few inches away from his collarbone. This she traced gently with her long fingers, feeling the raised marred skin, testament to the damage she'd done.

Murphy flinched from her touch. The hair on the back of his neck raised and he would never admit to it, but he was trembling. But he refused to cry out the whole time as she cut him open, though his wounds were pouring blood. They stung with each breath he took, the torn skin pulling over his ribs and muscles with each heave of his chest.

"I am sorry for that," Anna said sincerely, surprising them both. "I don't want to kill you. I just..." she struggled for her words, "I need you to hurt."

Murphy croaked out a defiant laugh. "I think you met your goal. I don't want your apologies."

Anger flashed in her eyes. She didn't like his tone. Didn't he know by now that _she_ was in control? That she _owned_ him? "Apparently, you need to learn to watch your mouth. Both you and your brother. But don't worry, my dear, I'll teach you."

She ripped a strip of cloth from Murphy's shredded shirt. Then she grabbed his jaw and stuffed the material in his mouth. With rough hands, she tied it firmly in placed behind his head to tightly that he gagged, tasting his own blood that had seeped into the shirt.

She'd just severed the possibility of speaking to his brother for comfort.

"I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes while I get things ready for your lesson," she snapped at them both before leaving the room.

Both breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little. Connor eyed his brother who lay bleeding at his feet. His eyes were closed and his jaw was snapped shut from the pain on the gag. He slumped against the pillar he was bound to. Connor had never felt worse than in that moment, seeing his brother look defeated like that. Even when he'd came to this place all those years ago and Murphy'd been hanging from the ceiling by his wrists, he'd never had to watch the things that had put him there. Connor would do anything to save Murphy, anything.

"Murph?" Connor called out softly. His brother's bright blue eyes fluttered open in response to his voice.

"Murphy, I'm sorry," Connor said. He was so scared. Before, he'd only seen the aftermath of Anna's work. Now, he had to watch it happen. He wanted to ask him how he could help him, if he could ease the pain in any way, because God knows that he would take it for him if he could. But even if he asked, Murphy wouldn't be able to answer. But Connor just needed to know what to do, because for once, he didn't have a plan.

Murphy leaned back, his eyes staying fixed on Connor like he wanted to say something. Connor sighed and tried to move his leg a little. He managed to brush his ankle against Murphy's legs, providing the physical contact that they both craved. It was a small gesture, but it meant so much.

"I love yah, Murphy. And I'm going ta make sure we get outta this."

Murphy nodded and mumbled something that came out "Rggh ooh," at the cost of choking on the material in his mouth. And though the words were muffled and distorted, Connor knew that Murphy was saying, love you.

The moment was ruined when Anna came back in. She was shoving a tub in front of her, some liquid sloshing over the edges while she pushed it over to them. When it bumped into Murphy's leg, she straitened and stretched.

Anna moved behind Murphy. Connor watched her the whole time, never blinking as she untied his hands long enough to yank them behind his back and retie them so that he was free of the beam. She cut his feet free from Connor's chair before grabbing her pet by his dark hair and yanking him over to the tub.

Murphy noticed that it was full of water. He was getting a very bad feeling. But as long as it wasn't Connor, he would be fine. Because for Murphy, it had clicked as to what was going to happen.

Connor hadn't quite caught on yet. "Anna, whatever you're planning, don't. Don't do it," he pleaded.

Anna grinned at him. "Do what? This?" With that, she yanked Murphy's head and shoved it under the freezing cold water. He'd tried to take a deep breath, but she'd gone without warning and it was hard to breath deeply when you have something stuffed in your mouth. He thrashed and tried to yank free of her grip, but she wouldn't let go. She just held him under as all the oxygen left his lungs. As the the thrashing began to simmer down to dull twitches.

Connor screamed the whole time. He yelled, he whipped around wildly, he cursed at her, he tried to yell encouraging things to his brother, praying he could hear him, but she just wouldn't stop. She was drowning his brother before his very eyes.

Only when Murphy went still did she let him up. He fell to his back, hands penned under him, coughing and sputtering for air. Anna saw his struggle to breath. She pulled the gag from his mouth, allowing it to hang limply around his neck while he took in greedy breaths.

When he stopped heaving for air, Anna fisted her hand in his hair again, ready for round two. But Connor yelled at her again. "Please! Stop! You can't do that to him! Just stop!"

Anna paused. "I can't? Why can't I?"

"Just don't," Connor begged. "Please, don't."

Anna thought over it a moment, but then she smiled. "Alright, I won't" she said, releasing her grip on Murphy's hair and letting him fall back to the floor to continue coughing. She went behind Connor and cut him loose. "I won't. But _you_ will."

She wasn't really asking him to... There's no way. No. He wouldn't do it.

"No," Connor said while trying to lunge at her. Anna moved back and pulled a gun, aiming it at him, causing him to pause.

"Yes, you will. You will, or I'll kill you," Anna said simply. It was her way or the highway.

"Guess you'll have to kill me," Connor challenged, "Cause I won't do it."

Anna raised an eyebrow and cocked her gun. Her finger began to squeeze the trigger when a raspy voice called out. "No!" Murphy wheezed, still trying to suck in air. "Connor, just do it."

Connor gapped at Murphy. How could he ask him to do that? How could he ask him to torture his own brother? He wouldn't do it. He couldn't do it. He would die first.

"No, Murph. I'm sorry."

Anna noticed the exchange. And now, she knew how to play them. "Oh, isn't this good. Both of you are little martyrs. Okay, new game," she said, as she walked over to Murphy, who still lay on the ground. She kicked him hard in the ribs, causing him to double over. Then she stepped on his throat, strangling him, all the while having a stare down with Connor. "You do this, or I'll kill him. But then, if I kill him, I'll let you go. I'll let you live a long life knowing you killed your brother."

Connor didn't know what to do. To do what she wanted, to hold his own blood under that water until he couldn't breath, it would kill Connor. He just couldn't do that. But the other option was unthinkable. He couldn't be responsible for Murphy's death. He stepped forward slowly and Anna let up on Murphy's neck, allowing him to breath again.

Connor got on his knees next to his brother, ignoring his own cuts and burns. He cradled Murphy's head in his arms for a moment, trying to comfort him. He pressed a brotherly kiss to his head while working his numb fingers through Murphy's dark hair, trying to tell him how sorry he was for the thing he was about to do.

"Murph, I'm sorry. I love yah so much, an' I'm sorry. But I can't let her kill yah. I can't do it," Connor said, fighting back the tears that were surfacing.

Murphy nodded as Anna pointed her gun at them. Her silent prodding had Murphy trying to sit up, but proving too weak to do so. "Do it. Do it, Connor," he said.

_Do it. Do it!_ The words echoed in Connor's head from years long past when he'd been forced to hurt his brother once again, breaking his hand in order to escape. It had killed him to do that back then and it was going to kill him to do what he was about to do now.

"On with it," Anna barked. Connor glared at her with the intensity of the devil himself before helping Murphy to sit up. Then, he pulled his brother as gently as he could to the tub of water. "Fan láidir. Tóg anáil domhain," he whispered in Gaelic, Murphy's favorite language. _Stay strong. Take a deep breath._

And then Connor did the worst thing he's ever done in his life. He eased his brother's head under the water.

Connor didn't know what was worse. The fact that Murphy hadn't even fought him, had helped him with the process, or the moment when time had begun to wear on his lungs and he had to fight back, because he couldn't breath. He was drowning. And Connor was the one doing it.

Murphy couldn't help it. He didn't want to put stress on Connor, but instinct pushed him to fight. Instinct made him kick and lash out, causing the water from the tub to splash everywhere and soak the floor. It made his bound hands claw at the air behind him where he could feel his brother's bloody chest, trying to wrench himself free of Connor's hold.

But Connor didn't let go. He tried to, but Anna would point that gun at Murphy and his fingers would clinch into a bruising grasp on his twin again, holding him under until he couldn't fight anymore and his body went still.

Anna lowered her gun and Connor instantly pulled Murphy free and into his arms. He held his brother while water sprung from his flooded lungs. He tried to keep him up so it wouldn't wash back down and choke him as he patted Murphy's back, trying to get all of the water out.

And then Murphy would catch most of his breath and look up at Connor. And Connor hated that he saw gratitude there in his brother's bloodshot eyes, adoration for what he was doing for him, doing _to_ him. Connor looked away and dry heaved.

"Again," Anna called from above them. Connor cursed at her, but she raised her gun at Murphy and Connor once again eased Murphy's dark head under the water, hating the stiffness of his brother's body under him.

Connor loses track of how many times he has to shove Murphy under after that. He didn't want to count. All he wanted was for that woman to lower that gun so that he could pull Murphy out for what seemed like the hundredth time.

And Connor could help but notice that each time he did get to let Murphy breath that his eyes were slowly closing. He wasn't going to be able to last much longer.

"Please, no more," he begged her while clutching Murphy's near unconscious body to his chest. "He can't take any more. It's killing him."

"Again."

And so Connor did it again. And again. And again. Again... And each time he did it, Connor cried. He sobbed, allowing it to rack his whole body. Because he just knew that he was slowly killing his brother.

It was when Murphy blacked out that she finally let him stop. Connor couldn't do it anymore. Even if she did raise the gun again. His body ached and his heart was torn to pieces. He just laid on the ground, pulling Murphy's body close to him, trying to keep him warm.

And then Murphy's eyes were opening. "C-C-Con.. Connor?" he asked, voice rough and waterlogged.

"I'm here," Connor replied, stroking his brother's hair and pulling him that much closer. "I'm here. I'm sorry, Murphy, I'm so sorry."

"S-S'okay. L-L-Love y-y-yah," Murphy managed to stutter out. His teeth were chattering and wanted to just crawl into a ball and sleep forever. Sleep here, with Connor, Connor, his protecter by his side. Because he was safe with Connor. Connor would save him.

But then Connor wasn't there. The arms were gone. Murphy craned his aching neck to see Anna yanking Connor by his shirt back to the chair. Connor couldn't even fight her back, he was so exhausted. She retied him to the chair before coming over to Murphy.

She pressed a gentle kiss to his frozen lips. Then she pulled back, eyes wide, green and innocent. "You're mine. No more games. I've finally won." She then reached for the gag that was soaked around his neck and stuffed it into his mouth before she yanked Murphy up. He could barely stand but he did. He had to be strong for Connor. He couldn't let Connor feel guilty over something that wasn't his fault.

"Where... Where are you taking him?" Connor asked as Anna pulled Murphy away towards the exit. But she didn't reply, just continued to yank a stumbling, half-awake Murphy away from Connor. "Murph!" he screamed. "Murph! Murphy!"

"Cnnnrrr!" Murphy tried to call back, but he couldn't, he just couldn't. The last thing he saw of his brother was Connor practically having a panic attack in that chair. His eyes were wide and horrified as Murphy was taken away. He just hoped that Connor knew how much he'd appreciated him. How much he'd appreciated what he'd done for him in that room.

It just killed him to hear his twin screaming for him, though. The last thing Murphy could hear before it all went black was Connor, screaming for him. Screaming his name while he sobbed.

"Murphy! Murphy, I'm sorry! Bring him back! Come back! Murphy, I love yah so much, please forgive me! Murphy!"


	9. Attachment and Instinct

_Chapter Eight Summary: Romeo goes in to find Connor soaked and tied to a chair. He frees his friend and notices that Murphy is gone, along with Anna. All the while, Connor keeps begging Murphy to forgive him for something. Romeo snaps him out of it and Connor is determined to find his brother. Earlier, Anna tortures the brothers. She makes Connor watch while she recarves all of Murphy's scars. When Murphy insults her, she claims that she'll teach him. She then forces Connor to hold Murphy under water repetitivly, threatening to kill Murphy if he doesn't. She then ties Connor back up and leaves, taking Murphy with her._

_A/N: Well, this was originally supposed to be the end, guys. But I expanded a bit because I'm not done being evil yet. So, this is the second to last chapter. Drop me some feedback to let me know what you think, hmm? _

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Attachment and Instinct_**

Anna knew that he would follow. As soon as Connor could manage to get free that he would pursue her and and his brother to the end of the Earth. He would never stop hunting.

Anna sighed as she got in the driver's seat of her car. She should've killed him. She should've made sure that he could never follow them. Because she would never give up her pet. He was _hers_.

As much as she wished that she'd killed Connor, she knew she couldn't unless he forced her to. Not because she didn't hate him. No, she hated him with every fiber of her being. She wanted him to die, but she couldn't kill him..

Because she knew what it would do to her pet. She wanted him broken, not destroyed. He was far too attached to that brother of his. If she'd killed him, she would've killed her precious' will to fight, the very thing that made him so interesting. She just couldn't sacrifice that for the convenience of killing his brother.

She pulled onto the road. It didn't matter if Connor lived or not. He would never find them, not where they were going. They'd be out of the country by the end of the night. And she would be taking her pet with her, at least, until he ceased to amuse her.

It still astounded her. After all the years, he still looked so much like _him_. It still made her hate the Irishman for it, for looking so much like her dead husband. It still made her want to punish him for her husband's crimes. But then she'd see those bright blue eyes that looked so much like _his_, like Mae's, pain that she'd caused, and she wouldn't want to hurt him anymore. At least, not until that darkness crept back into her heart and it didn't matter than he still looked so much like an innocent little boy.

No, she couldn't think like that. Soon, they'd be gone and Connor wouldn't be a problem. But her pet was far from innocent and he had to pay.

And she was far too attached to give him up without a fight.

**B~D~S**

* * *

Connor was more pissed than anything. Yes, he was hurting. Yes, he was bleeding. But he didn't care about any of that. Now that Romeo had rescued him, all that he cared about was getting Murphy back and killing this woman for all that she'd done to them.

He was more stable on his feet once he and Romeo got outside. The beautiful Spic-Mobile as Murphy calls it was waiting there. Connor got in the passenger seat so he could shoot while Romeo started it up. He felt something under his feet and looked to see what it was. It was his and Murphy's bag. Inside it were his guns and his rope. He took a deep breath and shoved his brother's knife in his boot.

"Do you know where they're going?" Romeo asked.

To be honest, Connor had no idea. But he knew her car had been around the back. She would be trying to get out of the country. Canada. She'd go north. And he knew a backroad that went there.

"Go that way," he pointed out the road behind the building. Connor saw fresh tire tracks and he knew that he was on the right trail. "I'm going ta' kill her, Rome."

"What... what happened in there, man? I thought she was gonna send you out."

"She lied," Connor hissed. "She got us both. Made me watch while she... Then she..." he couldn't tell him. He couldn't tell him that he'd been forced to torture his own brother. What would Romeo think of him then? No, he couldn't tell him. At least not now. Now, they needed to focus on finding Murphy.

"Can this thing go any faster?" Connor changed the subject.

In response, the motor revved as Romeo floored it. The machine wasn't built for speed, but it was going pretty fast. Connor was grateful that Romeo hadn't pressed him.

As Romeo drove, Connor couldn't help but tremble in his seat. His shirt was still soaked from when he'd held Murphy under the water. The guilt for what he'd done was eating away at him. If she'd just threatened to kill Connor, he wouldn't have done it. He'd have died before he ever even considered doing that.

But she'd pointed that gun at Murphy. She'd threatened his brother and left Connor with two horrible choices. Torture his brother, or let him die.

And even though it had killed him to do it, there really hadn't been a choice in the matter. Because Murphy couldn't die. That was Connor's everything. His best friend, his brother. They'd never been separated a day in their lives, it wasn't an option.

So Connor had done the unthinkable. He'd held Murphy under the water until he grew weaker and weaker. And what had bother him the most was the fact that Murphy was so willing to suffer that fate. He'd been the one to tell Connor to do it. He'd _helped_ Connor do it. He hadn't even fought back until pure instinct had driven him, and that just _killed_ Connor.

Didn't Murphy know how absolutely horrible all that had been?

Did he have any idea how sorry Connor was?

That was Connor's goal. He would find his brother, kill the monster who'd hurt them, and then he'd hug him and never let go. He'd tell him how sorry he was for what he'd been made to do. He'd beg for his forgiveness until he felt that Murphy understood how horrible Connor felt.

But first, he had to find him.

"How fast am I going to need to get to a hospital when we get him?" Romeo asked.

Connor balked. He'd never even thought that Romeo would think to ask something like that. And though it was close to a touchy topic, he could tell Romeo how hurt Murphy was without telling him how it happened.

"He's pretty cut up. Got knocked in the head pretty good. He'll... He'll have water in his lungs," Connor admitted.

Romeo nodded curtly, never acting surprised in the least. Connor had to admit, it was good to have someone like Romeo around.

And then they could see her car. It was a grey Sedan and it was going fast. Connor rolled down his window and made to shoot the tire, but he thought about it and decided it was a bad idea. What if the car flipped? His brother was in there. If he accidentally killed Murphy, he'd never forgive himself.

"Romeo, get in front of 'er. Cut 'er off."

"If I do that," Romeo pointed out, "she'll impact on your side."

"Do it," he said, hearing the echoes of his brother's words in his own voice.

Romeo did as he was told. He managed to accelerate even more as he pushed to get in front of Anna's car. Connor eyed her on the way around. He large green orbs looked at him in surprise as he flipped her off while Romeo pulled around to stop in front of her.

Even though Anna hit the breaks, it wasn't enough to stop from colliding with Romeo's car. She'd been going fifty-five. The wreck wasn't pretty.

Connor was fine, though. He'd braced himself for the impact. He'd been expecting to have broken something, but the good Lord must've protected him from harm because he was safe. Romeo was mostly unscathed as well. His head had his the glass to his window and he was out like a light, but he was alright for the most part.

Connor crawled out of the car on Romeo's side, where the door wasn't crunched. He left Romeo where he was and took up his guns before heading around to look in Anna's car. Her face was a bleeding mess. She was slumped over and glass had ended up in her flesh from the windshield.

But where was Murphy? Connor couldn't see him anywhere in the car. Had she already dropped him off somewhere? There was no way. No way. That left one place for him to be. Connor hobbled around to the back of the car. He moved towards the trunk and didn't hesitate in popping it open.

There was Murphy. He was stuffed into the back of the trunk, bloody and broken looking. He was curled into a ball, as if trying to protect himself. His hands were tied tightly behind his back. That horrible gag was still tied around his head. Connor didn't think he'd ever been happier to see him.

Connor was afraid to touch him. The last time he'd touched his brother, he'd been holding him under the water until he couldn't breath. But the protective instinct in him won out over his fear. As gently as he could be, he reached in and scooped Murphy's limp body up into his arms.

Murphy didn't move, and that terrified Connor. His clothes were still soaked. Connor couldn't hold his brother's full weight, so he eased him to the ground. Murphy's upper body lay motionless in his lap as he pulled the knife from his boot. He pulled Murphy to his chest so that he could get at the rope that bound his hands.

Connor cut the rope away from his raw wrists, careful to not cut his brother. Then he eased him back, cradling his head in the crook of his arm. He set the knife aside and used the gentlest touch he could muster to pull the gag out of Murphy's mouth. His fingers ghosted over his twin's pale lips.

Murphy still hadn't moved. He was breathing watery breaths, but he hadn't moved.

"M-Murphy?" Connor asked, unable to keep the tremor from his voice. "Murph, c'mon now. It's time to wake up. Connor's got yah."

Murphy still hadn't moved, and Connor was beginning to panic. He patted Murphy's cheek, his thumb stroking the bone there. "Murph, please wake up. I don't even care if yah hate me for what I did ta' yah. Just wake up, _please,_" he begged.

And Murphy's blue eyes cracked open, instinctively answering to his twin's voice as it called to him from the darkness. He coughed up a watery breath, his lungs feeling heavy with liquid. But it didn't matter how much it all hurt anymore because Connor was here holding him and he was safe.

"C-Connor?" he asked, having a hard time believing his eyes. His twin looked rough, like he'd been to hell and back just to come save him. "Are yah alright?"

Connor laughing, but it was choked, like it was a ridiculous question. "I'm fine, yah idiot. How are yah holdin' up?"

"Fantastic," Murphy said, offering a weak grin that came off as a grimace. Connor smiled back and bent down to press his forehead to his brother's, feeling his breath on his face, knowing he was alive and safe in his arms.

"I've got yah now, Murph. You're okay. You're safe," he whispered while he clung to his twin's wet and shivering body. He just held him, feeling his heart beat against his own chest. That familiar heart beat that had been his constant companion for thirty-seven years.

"Thanks f-f-for comin', Con," Murphy stuttered out while his hand sought out his brother's that rested on his tattooed chest.

Connor felt like he'd been smacked. "Of course I came for yah, yah dummy. I'd _never_ leave yah."

"Con?"

"Yeah?"

"I ever tell yah that you're the best brother I coulda asked for?" Murphy asked, echoing his words from ten years ago when Connor had come to save him.

Connor caught it and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt like he didn't deserve the title of best brother after what he'd done, but he played along for Murphy's sake. They could hash that out later. "Maybe once or twice. I ever tell yah it back?" Murphy shook his head, his limited strength starting to fail him. Connor frowned and locked eyes with him so that he knew he was serious. "Well, yah are. So there."

Connor was about to go get Romeo to help get Murphy into the car when suddenly, the last person they ever wanted to see came around the corner. Anna looked like she'd been through a blender, and it was obvious that she wasn't going to last much longer in this world. Blood poured from rivets in her face from where glass had cut her. She was horribly disfigured, but that wasn't what the stunned twins noticed.

What they noticed was the gun trained on Connor.

And then she said the most cliche thing that she could've ever said. "If I can't have him," she said, nodding to Murphy laying in Connor's arms, "neither can you."

And then she pulled the trigger. And the bullet flew. And Connor closed his eyes, prepared to die.

But the bullet didn't hit him. And it hadn't missed. It had been intercepted.

A roar had built in Murphy's ears. It made him summon all his strength in that one moment that instinct took over to protect his brother. Because losing Connor was unacceptable. And he felt Connor's arms around him tighten as he made ready to die.

But Murphy wouldn't allow it. He'd had enough of Anna taking from him. Making him suffer. He would finally get the last word in.

Murphy clutched Connor to him and pulled himself up. And he took the bullet in his back.


	10. Demons and Brothers

_Chapter Nine Summary: Romeo and Connor go after Anna and Murphy. They manage to find her and stop her car causing a wreck. Connor finds Murphy in bad shape in the trunk. He frees his brother and they're happy to see each other until Anna gets out of her car and fires at Connor. However, Murphy takes the bullet for his brother leaving him bleeding out in his arms..._

_A/N: Normally, I try to keep author's notes very impersonal and let you get to the story. However, I find I can't do that with this one. After writing _Brotherhood of Saints_ and _Demons of Saints_, I've found things to be different for me. Sure, I've gotten feedback on stories before, but it's been nothing like the pure emotion and love that you guys have given me here in this fandom. I just want to say thank you all so much for the support. I feel like I've made so many new friends and I can't tell you how much you all mean to me. So thank you._

_Please Read This A/N After Reading the Chapter: So yes, I left it open to maybe do another one. If I do, and I kinda doubt it will happen, it will be a while from now. I have a Walking Dead project in the works and that will have my attention for the next few weeks if you're interested at all. Also, if you liked this, I suggest you check out my story _Of Rope and Rambo Knives. It's a collection of oneshots that I've thought of or that I'm requested. I'm game to write mostly anything so if there's anything Saint related you wanna see, drop me a review their or PM me.

_Tid Bit: I suggest that you listen to Demons by Imagine Dragons when you read this._

* * *

**Demons of Saints**

**_Demons and Brothers_**

She'd never meant to kill him. That had never been her intention. She'd been ready to get rid of the brother, the one that kept them apart. But her pet had moved in front of the bullet meant for him and had taken the shot instead.

She watched his bloody body fall into Connor's lap. The fairer twin had no words. Only a horrified expression consumed his features. He didn't even look at her. He didn't care that she still had a gun. He only had eyes for the body in his arms.

"This is your fault," Anna told him. "If you hadn't come, this wouldn't have ever happened. This is all on you."

And Connor looked up at her, eyes wide and blue with a sadness that she'd never seen before. But she'd felt it. It was the same look in her eyes when she'd seen the bodies of her family.

His eyes looked dead. Soulless. Like he had nothing left in him. Like he _believed_ her.

And she wanted him to believe her because in all honesty, she blamed herself. And she didn't want to be responsible for her pet's death. Because to her, he didn't look like he was going to make it.

She raised the gun level with Connor's eyes which were trained on her. She expected him to beg. She expected him to ask to spare him. But he didn't, he just continued to look dead. He held no fear in his eyes. He simply looked down and pressed his forehead to his brother's.

He didn't flinch when she took him in her sights. He welcomed it. Here with his brother bleeding out in his arms, he had nothing to live for if Murphy didn't make it.

So he took his last few precious moments with his brother. He held Murphy's cold, wet, broken body while he waited for it all to end.

When the shot rang, he tightened his grip on Murphy. He wanted to be able to leave this world with the person that he'd entered with. But Connor felt no pain. He didn't feel the bullet rip into his flesh and burry itself his muscles. He didn't feel it because it hadn't been Anna who'd shot.

Connor pried his eyes away from his brother just long enough to look up and see Anna's bloody form falling to the ground. The light left her green eyes and finally, they were rid of her. Romeo stood behind her body, gun raised. His bullet had struck a path through her black heart, leaving her nothing but a dead demon.

"Connor? Murphy?" he called to them as he rushed to Connor's side.

"Romeo," Connor croaked out. "call for help! Now!"

"I already did, man! They're on the way."

"Murph, yah hear that?" Connor shook his brother, trying to keep pressure on the wound. He shook Murphy awake, those blue eyes flickering open, but remaining unfocused. They looked, but they didn't see. Murphy moved to say something, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was blood.

Blood. So much blood. It poured in rivets from his chest. It leaked a trail out of his mouth. It flowed like a river from the bullet wound. It pumped out through Connor's fingers, staining them as the blood ran and ran, no matter how hard he tried to keep it in his brother's body.

"Help is comin'," Connor tried to encourage him. "Just need yah ta' stay with me now. Stay with me," Connor yelled when Murphy's eyes closed again. "Please, Murphy! Just stay with me, Murph. I'm so... So sorry. Please stay... God, please don't take him! Please..."

And as Connor begged his brother to live and for God to save him, Connor couldn't help but feel... cracked.

**B~D~S**

* * *

Grief if a terrible thing. It consumes. It smothers. It kept those in the MacManus apartment from speaking much for the past few days since...

Connor sighed as he chugged on his second beer. He wanted more, wanted to get that buzz that took over and would soften the blow of the past few weeks. But he needed to stay sober. It would be wrong to be drunk today. Not appropriate.

Romeo came in. He'd been crying. Connor could see it in his red rimmed eyes. But Connor didn't have the heart to tease him. He was too... He just couldn't. Besides, that had always been Murphy's job.

"Hey, Connor. It's uh... It's time for the... the funeral."

Connor nodded and scratched an itch on his bare chest as he sat up from his place on the couch. He could feel a grim reminder of that day two weeks ago when he and Murphy had been taken captive. The raised scabs marked his skin from where Murphy's bound hands had clawed wildly at his chest while Connor had held his head under the water.

"You know, you don't have to go if you don't want to. I would understand," Romeo offered.

"No," Connor shook his head. "No, I'll go. I just need to get ready. Give me a bit."

Romeo stuffed his hands into his pockets. A moment later, he pulled them out, a piece of paper in his fingers. He looked at his, a sad light in his eyes. "You know, Murphy gave me this. He wanted... Wanted you to have it."

Icy fingers wrapped around his heart as he reached out and took the piece of paper. What on Earth could Murphy have written for him? It seemed Romeo knew because he backed away with a nod and left Connor to read his mysterious note alone.

With shaky hands, Connor opened the paper to find that it was a letter addressed to him and only him. When his eyes skimmed over the first line, he realized what this was, and why Murphy had written this.

It was his goodbye.

_You know I'm awful with talking about feelings. But I'm doing my best here, so bare with me. I just wanted you to know how much you meant to me and that I loved you. You really were the best brother that I could've asked for, Connor. You always did you best for me. I'm really glad you were the big brothers. I don't think I could've done anywhere near as good as you did. So know this, deartháir, no matter what happened to me, I want you to know that I love you, and I want you to do one last thing for me. Don't blame yourself. I know you will, but this is my choice, not yours. And live. Live for me, Connor. Take your time and live your life until the good Lord calls you home. I'll be waiting._

Connor clutched the paper in one hand while he whipped his tears away with the other. All that had happened and Murphy would leave him with _that_? Did his brother actually think that he could just move on, _not_ blame himself for what had happened? For what he'd done to his brother?

Connor went back to his bedroom to get ready for the funeral. Today was going to be hard enough and that letter hadn't helped at all. He tossed the paper to the bed as he pulled on his boots. "You're right. You are awful with feelings."

Blue eyes met Connor's as he struggled to sit up, bandages and stitches pulling at his abused skin. Murphy groaned more in annoyance than pain when he saw what Connor had tossed at him. "You weren't supposed to read that," he mumbled, sleep still clouding his voice.

"Yeah, not unless you died. Which you almost did," Connor shot back.

Murphy shrugged, his body protesting the movement. "Yeah, but then I wouldn't have ta' listen ta' yah complain about it."

Connor looked at his brother, really looked at him. Even though he'd just gotten out of the hospital two days ago after being in their care for two weeks, he still looked horrible. Bandages wrapped around his chest, offering padding to the cuts on his chest and the bullet hole in his back. He was still a bit pale and sometimes, he still coughed when he couldn't breath well, still working up the water in his lungs. And Connor had barely left his side through it all.

But he didn't have nightmares anymore. No, it seemed that Anna's death had soothed that issue for Murphy. But Connor seemed to have taken his place. He'd wake in the night covered in sweat. All through the night, Murphy drowned in his arms and it was all his fault.

He'd even woken Murphy in the night a few times by accident. Connor would call our his name in his sleep, begging for forgiveness. Connor hated waking his injured brother while he was sleeping and healing. Murphy never acted like he minded, though. He'd just crawl into Connor's bed, curl up next to his twin and whispered that it was all okay.

But it really wasn't. Connor didn't know if it ever would be okay. Maybe Murphy had gotten over what Connor had done to him, but Connor wouldn't ever forgive himself. Connor sat down next to his twin.

Murphy looked at him funny, like he'd done something wrong. Connor didn't know what it was until he looked at where Murphy's eyes were fixed. It was then that it dawned on him that he'd never seen the marks, what with being in the hospital and sleeping half the time since he'd got home.

Murphy reached out, eyes wide, fingertips gently tracing the claw marks on his brother's chest. "Did I... Did I do that?" he asked.

"Yah didn't mean to. It wasn't your fault."

"I did that when..." When he'd been drowned. They didn't need to say the rest. "You know I don't blame yah, right, Con?"

"You should. I drowned yah, Murph. Tortured yah. It's my fault you're so roughed up."

"She was going ta' kill us," Murphy argued, his voice rising with frustration. "Yah-" he coughed up a fit and Connor instantly patted his back, trying to help his brother through the mess that he had caused.

"I'm alright," Murphy whispered after a few heavy breaths. "They said that should be stopping soon."

"It should've never happened in the first place," Connor objected.

"Well, it did and I'm fine, so stop whining about it! Please, Connor. Stop the pity thing. It's driving me nuts. We're both fine, so we should be thankful."

"Yeah, I hear yah, Macho Murph," Connor whispered half-heartedly

Murphy sighed. "What will it take? What can I do ta' get yah ta' stop this?" It was then Murphy saw the tears streaming down Connor face. His brother couldn't seem to look at him, and that bothered him. "Con, look at me!"

And he did. It was a desperate, pleading look. "I'm so sorry, Murphy. Please forgive me. I'm so, so sorry."

Murphy instinctively wrapped an arm around his brother. "I did before yah even did it, Connor. Really. We're both okay and she's dead. We'll just move on."

Connor nodded and pulled away from Murphy, afraid the contact would hurt him. "Are you sure yah wanna go ta' this funeral? I mean, we loved Doc, sure, but I don't think he'd want yah hurtin' yourself just to go see him."

Murphy nodded and managed to get to his feet. "Yeah, I'm goin'. Doc was good ta' us. Least I can do is get up an' go see 'em. 'Sides, I need ta' get outta this room or I'm gonna lose it."

As Connor and Murphy both pulled on black T-shirts, Connor decided to break the tense mood. "Yah know, I'm still pissed at yah for takin' that bullet."

"Be pissed," Murphy said simply. "I did what I wanted ta', so get over it. Count it as payback if yah want for the whole drownin' thing."

Connor laughed. Though it still bothered him, having Murphy forgive him had made things more bearable. "Alright, I'll do that."

"Yah know, Smecker called," Murphy informed him. "This mornin'. I didn't tell him anything. He said he wanted ta' talk later so I figured we could tell 'em then if we wanted ta'."

"What did he want?"

"He said that he had a job for us."

"What kind of a job?" Connor pressed, already liking the sound of this.

Murphy grinned at his brother, feeling a weight that had been on him for ten years lift. Finally, they could go back to being easy with each other. They could get back to their mission. A mission that was calling.

"Con, how do yah feel about dirty cops?"

"I think lyin' is a sin," Connor grinned back.

"I happen to agree with yah there, my dear brother."

"We're going ta' need some more rope."

"You and your stupid rope."

And they laughed as Truth passed Justice a cigarette. They were ready for their mission. They would do it as Saints. As killers. But most importantly and always first, as brothers.


End file.
